Demonstrators point to a broken billboard showing the face of Congolese President Joseph Kabila during an opposition rally in Kinshasa on September 19, 2016. By Eduardo Soteras (AFP)

Kinshasa (AFP) - More than 50 people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in the capital of the DR Congo on Monday, opposition groups said in a statement which also called for further demonstrations.

The government had earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa, but had warned that the death toll could rise. </s> Organizers of anti-government marches in Congo say security forces shot dead at least four people and wounded dozens more in Sunday’s nationwide protest against President Joseph Kabila’s extended rule.

The Lay Coordination Committee on Monday announced that people were killed in Kinshasa, Mbandaka and Kisangani. Church organizations have been staging demonstrations against long-delayed elections, and the international community has criticized Congolese security forces for violent crackdowns on the protests.

Kabila was meant to leave office in December 2016 but elections have been repeatedly postponed. Congo’s government now says the vote will be in December.

The United Nations mission in Congo says 47 people were wounded in Sunday’s protests and more than 100 were arrested. It calls on Congolese authorities to carry out credible investigations. </s> Congolese protesters scatter as South African police open fire with rubber bullets whilst they protest outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo's embassy in defiance of their President, Joseph Kabila on December 20, 2016 in Pretoria. AFP PHOTO

At least 11 people were killed in DR Congo on Tuesday as clashes erupted during protests against President Joseph Kabila who is refusing to leave office as his mandate ends, officials said.

Nine people died in Kinshasa during protests to demand that President Kabila step down, a government spokesman said, while a protester and a policeman were killed in the second city Lubumbashi according the region's governor.

"In Kinshasa there were nine dead, not a single one more," said Mr Lambert Mende, the government's chief spokesman.

The UN's mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, had earlier said it was probing reliable reports that around 20 people had been killed in the country's capital during protests.

Governor Jean-Claude Kazembe said that along with the two fatalities in Lubumbashi, three people had been hurt in clashes.

President Kabila appears determined to cling on to power, and tensions in DR Congo have been running high, with police massing in the cities and many people staying home to avoid violence. </s> KINSHASA: More than 50 people were killed on Monday in clashes between protesters and security forces in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, opposition groups said, calling for further anti-government demonstrations.

The government earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa ahead of a planned opposition rally, but had warned that the death toll could rise.

“The coalition (of opposition groups) deplores the number of victims, more than 50 dead at this point, victims of the firing of real bullets by the police and the republican guard,” it said in a statement.

It also called on people to gather on Tuesday “to keep up without hesitation the demands made today.”

The rally, which the authorities cancelled, had been called to demand the resignation of President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. Opponents fear he is planning to extend his rule unconstitutionally.

The clashes Monday were the worst violence in the capital since January 2015 when a police crackdown on another opposition protest left several dozen people dead.

Interior Minister Evariste Boshab described the violence as an attempted “uprising” and said the victims included three police officers.

The main opposition parties had called for a nationwide demonstration to “give notice” to Kabila, whose mandate expires on December 20.

Although Kabila is banned by the constitution from running again, he has not made any move to schedule elections, fuelling fears he will seek to extend his stay in office.

In May, the Constitutional Court said Kabila could remain in office in a caretaker capacity until an election is held, triggering a wave of angry protests.

France on Monday described the unrest as “very dangerous and extremely worrying” and urged Kabila to lay out a clear timetable for a vote.

“What matters is the date of elections,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“If they’re delayed endlessly, that means that Kabila intends to stay in power,” he said.

“That’s a situation that is not acceptable.”

Former colonial power Belgium called in a foreign ministry statement for “restraint” and urged all political groups to “quickly” organise elections.

So far, there has been no move to schedule elections and at this stage, it appears practically impossible to organise a poll before the end of the year.

A fringe opposition group has been meeting with the government in a bid to organise a schedule for elections, but veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi has refused to participate in the talks which are due to end on Saturday.

Last week, Amnesty International accused Kinshasa of the “systematic repression” of those seeking Kabila’s departure.

Monday’s rally had been due to start in Kinshasa in the early afternoon, but during the morning, scuffles broke out between stone-throwing youths and anti-riot police.

Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of stone-throwers as they tried to march on parliament ahead of the demonstration, which was promptly cancelled by the authorities.

“Kinshasa just experienced an uprising which ended in failure,” Boshab said, accusing demonstrators of “deliberately” ignoring a schedule which had been agreed with the authorities.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende had earlier told AFP that two policemen were killed in violence against the ruling party’s offices in the volatile Limete district.

A Catholic nun said one of the policemen had been “burnt alive”.

Government officials also accused the opposition of “targeted looting”, while private security officials said there had been several looting incidents involving banks and Chinese-run shops in the south of the city, which is home to some 10 million people.

Earlier, youths were seen hurling stones at police on the city’s main avenue as plumes of smoke rose into the air from burning tyres and from a car and a minibus that had been set alight.

“Kabila, get out!” they shouted as they waved the blue-and-white flags of the opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), which is headed by Tshisekedi, 83.

Party spokesman Bruno Tshibala told AFP he had seen four bodies in the office of an allied party.

Activists were also seen burning a giant poster of Kabila in which he appealed for the two sides to resolve the crisis through “dialogue”. And a diplomatic source reported clashes in several places along the road to the capital’s airport.

An AFP photographer and a journalist working for French radio station RFI were briefly detained by the security forces while they covered the clashes.

They were beaten several times and eventually released. However, the AFP photographer’s confiscated memory cards were not returned. – AFP </s> A man screams as people gather to protest in the neighbourhood of Yolo in Kinshasa on December 20, 2016. By Eduardo Soteras (AFP)

Kinshasa (AFP) - At least 11 people were killed in DR Congo on Tuesday as clashes erupted during protests against President Joseph Kabila who is refusing to leave office as his mandate ends, officials said.

Nine people died in Kinshasa during protests to demand that Kabila step down, a government spokesman said, while a protester and a policeman were killed in the second city Lubumbashi according the region's governor.

"In Kinshasa there were nine dead, not a single one more," said Lambert Mende, the government's chief spokesman.

The UN's mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, had earlier said it was probing reliable reports that around 20 people had been killed in the country's capital during protests.

Governor Jean-Claude Kazembe said that along with the two fatalities in Lubumbashi, three people had been hurt in clashes.

Kabila appears determined to cling on to power, and tensions in DR Congo have been running high, with police massing in the cities and many people staying home to avoid violence. </s> KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The United Nations says at least two people have been killed after attacks on the headquarters of five opposition political parties in Congo late Monday.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights statement also says riots erupted early Tuesday, with shots fired.

Congo's government has said at least 17 were killed Monday in clashes between security forces and demonstrators opposed to President Joseph Kabila. The U.N. says about 200 have been arrested.

People stand near burning debris during election protests in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016. Witnesses say at least four people are dead after opposition protests against a delayed presidential election turned violent in Congo's capital. The protests were organized by activists who are opposed to longtime President Joseph Kabila, who is now expected to stay in office after his mandate ends in December. (AP Photo/John Bompengo)

Congo has seen rising tensions as Kabila is expected to stay in office after his mandate ends in December. The electoral commission says November's scheduled presidential vote won't be possible.

A court has determined Kabila can stay in power until another vote is organized.

The U.N. notes reports of "excessive use of force" by security forces and demonstrators. </s> At least 44 people were killed in protests against Congolese President Joseph Kabila, including 37 killed by security forces and six police officers killed by demonstrators.

The protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo started on Monday after the election commission decided to try to postpone the next presidential vote, due in November.

Kabila's opponents say the proposed delay is a manoeuvre to keep the president in power although ruling party politicians deny this. Kabila is barred constitutionally from running for a third term and his allies say he will respect the constitution.

With the unrest forcing schools to close and halting public transport in the sprawling riverside capital, the United Nations expressed fears the situation could worsen.

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Overnight, several people were killed when security forces burned down the headquarters of the main opposition party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), and attacked buildings of other opposition parties, HRW Africa researcher for the New York-based group, Ida Sawyer, said.

17 people had been killed overnight and on Tuesday, while 20 had been killed on Monday, she said.

"Most were killed when security forces fired on crowds of protesters," she said.

"We've also received credible reports that protesters have killed at least six police officers and a [ruling party] PPRD supporter and they have also burned and looted several shops and police stations," Sawyer said.

The fire - a criminal act - started between 2am and 4am on Monday (1200-1300 NZ time), said opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, a UDPS official and son of veteran opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi, who lost to Kabila in a 2011 presidential run-off after five decades of active involvement in Congolese politics.

Congo has not had a peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

"We have on our hands seven dead and two people who were amputated: one at the arm and another at the leg, in the fire at our headquarters in Limete. There are also multiple people wounded at the hospital," Felix Tshisekedi told Reuters.

Tshisekedi, who has called for further protests, said: "We won't live with this barbarity. The people are angry." Witnesses said calm has returned to central Kinshasa by Tuesday afternoon, though there were reports of clashes in the suburbs.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende condemned the attack on the UDPS but denied security forces were involved.

Interior ministry spokesman Claude Pero Luwara told Reuters the death toll stood at 17 and said Human Rights Watch's statement was a "typical" exaggeration by the group. The ministry had earlier said three of those killed were policemen.

Kabila took power in 2001 when his father was assassinated but must step down in December.

His opponents fear he may follow the example of leaders in other African countries such as Burundi and Rwanda and change the constitution to extend his rule.

Tom Perriello, U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, said Washington would hold all sides accountable for their actions during the latest violence and that the government could easily have taken steps to defuse tension.

"Unfortunately, the pattern over the last year has been to dramatically reduce that open political space ... We have seen a crackdown on the rights and freedoms of Congolese people," he told a news conference in New York.

"We remain ready to impose additional targeted sanctions on individuals who have been involved in abuses or violence," said Perriello, who was verbally harassed and obstructed at Kinshasa airport as he left on Sunday.

Adding to the mix of disapproval, Congo's powerful Catholic church temporarily suspend its participation in talks between the government, some opposition parties and civil society groups over the election timetable, local media said.

Nearly 200 people were believed to have been arrested on Monday and the UN received reports of excessive use of force by security forces, UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva.

Congo is Africa's top copper producer but many Congolese people have yet to benefit from the country's mineral wealth. </s> The government earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa ahead of a planned opposition rally, but had warned that the death toll could rise.

"The coalition (of opposition groups) deplores the number of victims, more than 50 dead at this point, victims of the firing of real bullets by the police and the republican guard," it said in a statement.

The rally, which the authorities cancelled, had been called to demand the resignation of President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. Opponents fear he is planning to extend his rule unconstitutionally.

Although Kabila is banned by the constitution from running again, he has not made any move to schedule elections, fuelling fears he will seek to extend his stay in office.

So far, there has been no move to schedule elections and at this stage, it appears practically impossible to organise a poll before the end of the year.

A fringe opposition group has been meeting with the government in a bid to organise a schedule for elections, but veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi has refused to participate in the talks which are due to end on Saturday.

Government officials also accused the opposition of "targeted looting", while private security officials said there had been several looting incidents involving banks and Chinese-run shops in the south of the city, which is home to some 10 million people.

Earlier, youths were seen hurling stones at police on the city's main avenue as plumes of smoke rose into the air from burning tyres and from a car and a minibus that had been set alight.

Activists were also seen burning a giant poster of Kabila in which he appealed for the two sides to resolve the crisis through "dialogue". And a diplomatic source reported clashes in several places along the road to the capital's airport. </s> Human Rights Watch senior researcher Ida Sawyer said that at least 44 people have died as political demonstrations turned violent.

Opponents of the government took to the streets earlier this week to protest the national electoral commission's failure to announce a timetable for the presidential election, due to take place in November.

Citing "credible reports," Sawyer said that 37 protesters have been killed since the protests began, six police officers and one supporter of ruling leader Joseph Kabila's party. CNN cannot independently verify the figure.

In a follow-up email, Sawyer said that "at least 37 (civilians have been killed) since the protests began, including 20 who were killed yesterday (September 19) and 17 who were killed last night and today (September 20)."

Opposition party headquarters were torched overnight Monday in retaliation over the protests, a government spokesman said. Lambert Mende Omalanga, minister of communication, told CNN: "We condemn revenge attacks as a manner of justice. We need calm from everyone." Opposition leader Martin Fayulu had called on the government to abide by the constitution and for President Joseph Kabila to step down on December 19. Fayulu posted a message on Twitter last week saying protesters should stage a sit-in in front of the elections commission Monday. A delay in the elections would allow Kabila to stay in power beyond the end of his second term. But Omalanga dismissed calls from the opposition for Kabila to resign then, saying, "President Kabila will step down only when a new president is elected. "I don't think it is something credible. We are meeting in a national dialogue in order to organize free and fair elections," he told CNN. "Those who launched these so-called protests may be afraid of the outcome of any election that may be held," Omalanga said, adding that the situation was currently calm in Kinshasa. Opinion: Bandi Mbubi says only democracy can end violence The head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or MONUSCO, urged everyone "to exercise maximum restraint." "I call on the Congolese authorities to ensure that national security forces respect fundamental freedoms, and for the use of nonlethal force in crowd control in their response to protests. I also call on all concerned political leaders and their supporters to desist from undertaking any further acts that could continue to exacerbate the situation and heighten tensions," said MONUSCO's Maman Sambo Sidikou. #MONUSCO calls on all political actors in the #DRC to act with restraint https://t.co/3EueBf4CEd #RDC #19Septembre pic.twitter.com/4EFu49eRtq — MONUSCO (@MONUSCO) September 19, 2016 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the United States, France, former colonial power Belgium and the African Union also condemned the violence and called on the government to set an election date. "The timetable must be made available as swiftly as possible and the elections held with as little delay as possible," the French Foreign Ministry said. US State Department spokesman John Kirby said, "Today's events underscore the need for a truly inclusive dialogue process aimed at reaching consensus on holding presidential elections as soon as technically feasible and guaranteeing the country's first democratic transition of power." Kabila succeeded his father, Laurent Kabila, after his assassination in 2001. The central African nation hasn't had a peaceful transition of power since gaining independence in 1960.
Clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters demanding the resignation of President Joseph Kabila reportedly leave more than 20 people dead in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.