19 January 2015 DRC protests

2015 Congolese protests Sénat du Congo-Kinshasa en session, 22 janvier 2015.jpg Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in session on 22 January 2015. 19–25 January 2015 Kinshasa, Bukavu,20 January 2015 DR Congo: UN Mission deplores loss of life as police, protesters clash in capital https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49851#.VL_tMsYQ47A UN News Centre 21 January 2015 Goma, Lubumbashi KongoTimes Respect de la Constitution : " KABILA " a la corde au cou 21 January 2015 French http://afrique.kongotimes.info/rdc/rdc_elections/8918-respect-constitution-kabila-corde-cou-manifestations-violentes-pillages-morts-arrestations-kinshasa-etats-unis-preoccupes-rdc-opposant-tshisekedi-appelle-peuple-faire-partir-regime-finissant.html * legislation proposed that would allow the country's president, Joseph Kabila, to remain in power indefinitely until a national census was completed * Political reforms, mainly discontinuation of the president's term * Protests Demonstrations * Congolese Senate passed a law omitting controversial census clause, opposition called off further protests Student protesters General public protesters DRC Government of The DR Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Congolese National Police DRC Joseph Kabila 27 (government claimAnti-government demos in DR Congo killed 27, By Afp, Published: 16:07 GMT, 5 February 2015, https://news.yahoo.com/anti-government-demos-dr-congo-killed-27-160351241.html) – 42 deaths (Reuters claim) Western diplomats pressure Congo's Kabila to end election law standoff Reuters 24 January 2015 https://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL6N0V306S20150124?sp=true https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132211/http://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL6N0V306S20150124?sp=true dead 28 January 2015 36 confirmed by Human Rights Watch DR Congo: Deadly Crackdown on Protests Human Rights Watch 24 January 2015 https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/01/24/dr-congo-deadly-crackdown-protests On 19 January 2015, protests led by students at the University of Kinshasa broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The protests began following the announcement of a proposed law that would allow the country's 43-year-old president, Joseph Kabila, to remain in power until a national census could be conducted. Elections had been planned for 2016 and a census would be a massive undertaking that would likely take several years for the developing country.Ross Aaron 21 January 2015 Update 2-Congo protests enter third day, rights group says 42 dead https://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL6N0V01NX20150121?sp=true https://web.archive.org/web/20150121192605/http://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL6N0V01NX20150121?sp=true dead 21 January 2015 Reuters 21 January 2015Jullien Maud 21 January 2015 DR Congo unrest: Catholic church backs protests https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30913739 BBC News 21 January 2015 By 21 January, clashes between police and protesters had claimed at least 42 lives (although the government claimed only 15 people had been killed, most by security guards while looting January 2016; the government later adjusted that figure to 27 killedAnti-government demos in DR Congo killed 27, By Afp, Published: 16:07 GMT, 5 February 2015, https://news.yahoo.com/anti-government-demos-dr-congo-killed-27-160351241.html). As a result of the protests the government closed certain radio stations, U.S. Department of State 21 January 2015 U.S. Concerned About Increased Violence in Democratic Republic of the Congo https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/01/236152.htm 24 June 2017 dmy-all and cut all internet, SMS and 3G communication in the country on 20 January. courrierinternational.com 20 January 2015 RDC : deuxième jour de violences et de répression à Kinshasa French http://afrikarabia2.blogs.courrierinternational.com/archive/2015/01/20/rdc-deuxieme-jour-de-violences-et-de-repression-a-kinshasa-50598.html 21 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150122001737/http://afrikarabia2.blogs.courrierinternational.com/archive/2015/01/20/rdc-deuxieme-jour-de-violences-et-de-repression-a-kinshasa-50598.html 22 January 2015 dead dmy-all Following a series of meetings between foreign diplomats and Congolese government officials, the Congolese Senate passed the law, omitting the controversial census clause, and the opposition called off further protests. Events On 17 January 2015, the Congolese National Assembly (the country's lower house) voted to revise the electoral law in the country's constitution. The new law would require that a national census be conducted prior to any upcoming elections, which, according to the Guardian newspaper, "could delay the general election, due to take place [in] 2016." Congo's #Telema protests – in tweets The Guardian 21 January 2015 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/21/-sp-congo-telema-protest-twitter On 19 January, following a call from opposition parties, protesters gathered in front of the Palais du Peuple and were subsequently attacked with tear gas and live ammunition by government security forces. Protests also took place in the capitals of the country's historically unstable eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. On 20 January, Internet, SMS and 3G communications in the country were cut-off. On 21 January, the Congolese Catholic Church's Archbishop, Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo stated "We denounce these actions which have caused death and we are launching this plea: stop killing your people,...[and call on the people to use] all legal and peaceful [means to oppose the law change]."22 January 2015 Senate to vote on contested law after deadly protests http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/150122/senate-vote-contested-law-after-deadly-protests AFP 22 January 2015 The Roman Catholic Church counts around half of the country's population amongst its congregants. The same day, American, British, French and Belgian diplomats met with the Congolese Senate President, Léon Kengo, and urged him either to suspend debate and voting on the modifying law or to remove the controversial provisions.22 January 2015 West urges Congo to suspend new election law after deadly protests https://www.reuters.com/article/congodemocratic-politics-protests-idUSL6N0V11BL20150122 Reuters 22 January 2015 On 24 January, diplomats from Belgium, the European Union, France, the United Kingdom, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo, and the United States met privately with President Kabila at his home in Kinshasa. On 25 January, the Congolese Senate removed the controversial provision from the proposed law and passed it, leading the opposition to call off plans for protests on the next day. Congo parliament passes election law stripped of census requirement Reuters 25 January 2015 https://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL6N0V40S820150125 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060312/http://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL6N0V40S820150125 dead 4 March 2016 President Kabila has until 24 February to sign the bill into law. Attacks on Chinese businesses Around 50 Chinese national-run businesses in the Kinshasa neighborhoods of Ngaba and Kalamu were targeted by looters.Somalis in Soweto and Nairobi, Chinese in Congo and Zambia, local anger in Africa targets foreigners http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-01-25-somalis-in-s-africa-chinese-in-dr-congo-and-zambia-anti-state-rage-in-africa-targets-foreigners/ Mail & Guardian January 25, 2015 2015-01-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20150128093550/http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-01-25-somalis-in-s-africa-chinese-in-dr-congo-and-zambia-anti-state-rage-in-africa-targets-foreigners 2015-01-28 dead An Agence France-Presse article reported that the attacks were motivated by local businesses' resentment of the low prices of Chinese run stores and the rioters' association of Chinese-run stores with the government's Chinese investment deals which have become a centerpiece of the country's economic policy. Reactions On 19 January, Martin Kobler, the head of MONUSCO, criticized the deaths and injuries during protests as "a result of violent demonstrations and the ensuing use of lethal force by the security force." He further said, "The use of force by law enforcement officers must always be necessary, proportionate, and a measure of last resort." On 20 January, the American government expressed concern about the situation in the country, the loss of life and the ongoing violence. The U.S. called for "timely elections [...] in accordance with the Constitution." Subsequent arrest of activists On March 15 at least 26 activists, journalists, diplomats and civilians were arrested in Kinshasa while attending a workshop on freedom of expression. Those arrested included journalists from the BBC, AFP, RTBF, and the Senegalese youth-group Y'en a Marre."Senegal leader Macky Sall offers to reduce presidential term as 'example to Africa'", The Guardian, 17 March 2015. They were beaten by Congolese security forces, arrested and taken to be interrogated by members of Congo's National Intelligence Agency2015-03-18 DR Congo: Mass Arrests of Activists Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/03/18/dr-congo-mass-arrests-activists 2024-10-24 en On March 17 at least 10 people were arrested and beaten in Goma for protesting the earlier arrests in Kinshasa. See also December 2016 Congolese protests List of protests in the 21st century References 30em Category:Protests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:2015 protests Category:2015 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:21st century in Bukavu Category:21st century in Goma Category:21st century in Kinshasa Category:History of Lubumbashi Category:January 2015 in Africa Category:Anti-Chinese sentiment Category:China–Democratic Republic of the Congo relations Category:University of Kinshasa Category:Coups d'état in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:2010s in North Kivu Category:2010s in South Kivu