CONGO: Police block anti-Kabila protest

Police and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have used force to block a planned rally calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down. Rights group Human Rights Watch says two men have been shot dead outside a church in the capital Kinshasa. Other reports said at least six people and a police officer […]

Police and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have used force to block a planned rally calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down.

Rights group Human Rights Watch says two men have been shot dead outside a church in the capital Kinshasa.

Other reports said at least six people and a police officer had been killed.

Church activists and opposition parties had backed the demonstration. Under a deal reached a year ago, Mr Kabila was due to step down by the end of 2017.

That was a year after the end of his second term in office. An election to replace him has now been delayed until December 2018.

The authorities in Kinshasa banned the protest there, saying they did not have the resources to police it.

Police roadblocks have been in place since Saturday.