ON THE streets of Kinshasa, the raucous, ramshackle capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it is now difficult for foreigners to walk through markets without being accosted by secret policemen, nor to do so without also hearing from shoppers and market traders how much they hate Joseph Kabila, the country’s president. As 2018 starts, Africa’s youngest head of state (Mr Kabila is only 46, despite having ruled for 17 years) is also one of the continent’s most embattled.
On New Year’s Eve at least seven people were killed in protests against the government. Before the demonstrations the Congolese government shut down much of the mobile-phone network to hamper their organisers. These were the first major protests in Kinshasa in a year and were but the latest in a string of problems for a president who did not bother to organise elections and has continued to rule unconstitutionally since his term of office ran out in December...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/2mgpOKj
EmoticonEmoticon