Kinshasa – Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) used tear gas on Monday to disperse demonstrators who set fire to tires and flags of the US and Belgium near Western embassies and UN offices in the capital, Kinshasa.
The protesters accused the West of supporting neighboring Rwanda, which they claim is backing the Tutsi-led M23 rebellion that is threatening the strategic city of Goma in the east.
Rwanda has denied the allegations, but Congo, Western governments, and a UN expert group have said the rebel group benefits from Rwandan support.
The protesters, who adopted a new tactic by targeting embassies, chanted “Leave our country, we don’t want your hypocrisy” and threw stones at one of the US embassy offices, trying to break the surveillance cameras.
Some also cheered as one of them removed the EU flag from the entrance of a large hotel in central Kinshasa, according to videos shared on X, a social media platform.
Security Measures
Congo’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula met ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions in Kinshasa on Sunday. He said security measures would be taken to protect their representations.
“As you can see, we are ensuring the security of the partner embassies of the Democratic Republic of Congo by the Vienna Convention,” General Blaise Mbula Kilimba Limba, Kinshasa police chief, told Reuters news agency.
Despite the security being stepped up after UN staff and vehicles were attacked on Saturday, groups of protesters gathered at the US and French embassies and the offices of the UN mission in Congo known as MONUSCO. Police fired tear gas and chased the protesters away.
Decades of Conflict
The DRC has been plagued by decades of conflicts in its eastern regions, where dozens of armed groups compete for land and resources and carry out brutal attacks on civilians.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than seven million displaced by the violence.
The DRC is also the world’s top supplier of cobalt and Africa’s top copper producer, but most of its people live in poverty and lack basic services.
The M23 rebellion, which started in 2012, is one of the most serious threats to the stability of the country and the region.
The rebels, who say they are fighting for better political representation and integration into the national army, have seized several towns and villages in North Kivu province and are now advancing towards Goma, the provincial capital and a major trade hub. The UN and the African Union have called for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
The DRC government has said it is open to dialogue, but only after the rebels withdraw from the areas they have occupied.
The protesters in Kinshasa, however, have expressed their frustration and anger at the international community, which they accuse of being complicit in the suffering of their fellow Congolese in the east. They have also demanded more action from their government to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
Many of them hope that the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 2024, will bring about positive change and peace for the DRC.
Source: ReutersÂ
