17 killed in DRC clashes between police, religious sect

By Godfrey Olukya

ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo

Seventeen people, including three policemen have been killed during clashes between the police and a religious sect in northeastern Mongala province since Wednesday, according to the police on Thursday.

The clashes took place in the outskirts of the province's Lisala city and ended on Thursday, Mongala police officer John Mbala said.

Mbala said police clashed with the followers of a sect belonging to a man named Wami Nene, who claimed to have special powers.

Provincial Interior Minister Jean-Pierre Alakani instructed police to disperse the sect members after it came to the notice of authorities that nearly 4,000 followers, including men, women and children had been living together in deplorable conditions and were acting in “unlikely manners,” the officer said.

About the alleged strange behavior of the group, Louis Lagala, a local leader in Lisala, said: ''They did not believe in taking the sick to the hospital. They believed that prayers could heal the sick. They also did not believe in being led by local leaders.”

The police officer said: “The clashes started when a disagreement took place between the followers of the religious organization and the policemen who had been sent to tell them to vacate the place. The members of the religion responded by grabbing two guns from the policemen and also beat them seriously.''

In the exchange of fire, 14 members of the sect and three policemen were killed. The sect leader Wami Nene was also killed in the clashes, Mbala added.