DRC police arrest 14 anti-Kabila protestors

By Godfrey Olukya

ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrested 14 protestors Wednesday in North Kivu province.

They are among the thousands of protestors calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down, saying he has remained in power even though his term in office has expired.

The opposition and civil society organizations in the DRC declared Wednesday a day of protest against Kabila. Police said those arrested will be charged with unlawful assembly.

Peter Bonge, a member of the citizen’s movement Fight for Change (LUCHA), told Anadolu Agency that police arrested 14 of its members in Beni.

“We were protesting while demanding the departure of President Kabila,’’ he said.

A police officer in North Kivu, Sergeant Kenneth Kasongo, confirmed the arrests and said they will soon be taken to court to be charged with demonstrating without permission.

Kabila's term in office expired in December 2016, but he refused to leave power, saying that elections could not take place because most voters had not been registered.

Since then, the opposition has been occasionally staging protests.