Etienne Tshisekedi disputes the re-election of President Joseph Kabila in the November 28 vote [AFP]
Security forces in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have squashed an attempt by top opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi to swear himself in as president despite officially losing recent a contested recent election.
Riot trucks loaded with police carrying tear-gas grenade launchers and rifles zoomed through the streets of Kinshasa, the capital, on Friday while tanks and heavily armed republican guards were deployed inside the stadium grounds where Tshisekedi had planned his rival swearing-in ceremony.
Outside the stadium, hundreds of Tshisekedi supporters in small groups threw rocks at security forces before being pushed into backstreets by tear gas in a cat-and-mouse battle. Police arrested dozens of people. There was no sign of serious injuries, a witness told the Reuters news agency.
Charles Bisengimana, the DRC’s chief of police, said the opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDSP) party had not been granted permission to protest and that security forces were attempting to keep the peace.
“We received no notification of a protest from UDPS so police are maintaining public order so
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