Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:42 pm
Democratic Republic of Congo police fired tear gas and water cannon on Wednesday to repel hundreds of protesters whose rally against a proposed new law threatened to spill into the parliament compound in the capital Kinshasa.
Opponents say the reform, which would place prosecutors under the government’s authority rather than the courts, undermines the independence of the judiciary.
On the second day of protests, crowds of mostly young men chanted and squared up to security forces on the streets around parliament, before being pushed back by armed officers in jeeps.
The proposal was put forward by a member of ex-president Joseph Kabila’s PPRD party, but has faced opposition from the UDPS party of President Felix Tshisekedi.
“We will fight to the end to protect the independence of the judicial system,” said protester and UDPS supporter Jean Kabamba, whose head was wrapped in a Congolese flag.
The tension and frustration felt by Tshisekedi’s party long predates the current events, said Fred Bauma from the Congo Research Group at New York University. The proposed law “is just a trigger,” he told Reuters.
Tshisekedi took power last year, but his presidency has been hampered by an awkward power-sharing deal with Kabila, whose allies control a majority of ministries and seats in parliament.
The recent trial of Tshisekedi’s former chief of staff on embezzlement charges pointed to other cracks in the ruling elite. Vital Kamerhe backed Tshisekedi in his successful election campaign in return for his support in the 2023 race. On Saturday, he was sentenced to 20 years hard labour.
(Agencies)
Senegal's ruling Pastef party has won a resounding victory in the legislative elections, taking130 of the 165 seats in parliament,…
Gaza’s hunger crisis is not only statistic, but a set of narratives such as Yasmin Eid, amother of six, who…
The government of Kenya announced that it is looking into the suspected kidnapping ofKizza Besigye, a well-known opposition politician from…
A team of 80 security agents tasked with protecting the electricity grid was ambushed onMonday in Shiroro, Niger State, by…
Cryptocurrency becomes the new thing in Africa. People shift for stable alternatives aftertheir unstable local currencies. Many people believe Donald…
UAE has also distributed 30,000 food baskets to Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo refugeecamp Uganda to benefit nearly 100,000 affected people.Aid…
This website uses cookies.