Sporadic gunfire echoed across Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital on Wednesday, the day after security forces killed at least 26 protesters demanding President Joseph Kabila step down after his mandate as elected leader expired.
A government spokesman could not be reached to comment on the nationwide death toll, compiled by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said it was yet to give a final tally.
The United Nations human rights director for the vast central African state said it had “solid” reports of at least 20 dead civilians in the capital, Kinshasa.
Some Kinshasa residents ventured from their homes on Wednesday morning but most streets were clear of traffic and public transport was extremely limited.
Africa and the West fear the political crisis around Kabila could spiral into a broader conflict, triggering a repeat of the 1996-2003 wars that killed millions and sucked in half a dozen neighboring countries’ armies.
The former Belgian colony has never experienced a peaceful transition of power. The main opposition bloc gave mixed signals about whether it would return on Wednesday to talks mediated by Congo’s Catholic bishops, with a final decision expected during the morning.
Protests had erupted in the early hours of Tuesday, moments after the expiry of Kabila’s mandate cast the nation of 70 million into the constitutional unknown. Elections to choose a successor were delayed from November this year to mid-2018.
Gangs of mainly young men burned tyres in the streets of Kinshasa and threw stones at riot police and soldiers who responded with live rounds and teargas.
Clashes also happened in the southeastern mining city of Lubumbashi and the western port cities of Matadi and Boma, and Goma in the east, next to the border with Rwanda.
Scores of arrests were made in Kinshasa and other cities. A police spokesman said he did not yet have information on the number of deaths or arrests.
Kabila’s government blamed delays in the election on problems with registering millions of voters, and the constitutional court ruled in May that Kabila could stay in power until the delayed vote in April 2018.
However, the main opposition faction in parliament refused to endorse the deal to allow him to stay on. Opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi called on Congolese people on Tuesday to peacefully resist Kabila.
The opposition says Kabila is deliberately delaying the poll in order to cling to power, a charge which he denies.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")