Kinshasa, DR Congo – Vandalised embassies, looted supermarkets and piles of burning tyres marked chaotic demonstrations Tuesday in DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa to denounce the “inaction” of the international community over the conflict raging in Goma, the main city in the country’s east.
On foot or on motorbikes, hundreds of angry demonstrators responding to the “Paralyse the City” call of a youth collective gathered in the upscale district of Gombe in the north of Kinshasa and targeted the embassies of Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, France, Belgium and the United States.
They accused Rwanda and Uganda of actively supporting the armed group M23 which after a lightning offensive in North Kivu province with the support of Rwandan troops entered the regional capital Goma on Sunday.
On Tuesday, they had taken control of its airport after raging street battles.
The demonstrators accused the other countries of diplomatic inaction.
“Enough is enough”, “We’re going to destroy everything here. Today, we’re going to finish with Rwanda,” shouted one demonstrator to applause in front of the building that houses the Rwandan embassy in Kinshasa.
Thick smoke billowed nearby from tyres set on fire.
“Death to Kagame”, “Kagame killer”, they shouted referring to the Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The perimeter wall of the French embassy was also set on fire. Graffiti on it read: “Betrayal over a long period of time… let’s end it now”.
Protesters also targeted the embassies of Belgium, the United States and looted the Ugandan mission, taking away furniture on motorbikes and taxis.
– ‘Unacceptable’ attacks –
Demonstrators also broke into a supermarket nearby, taking milk, chicken and sweet packets, an AFP correspondent said.
One young man was injured in the leg, bleeding profusely but looters were too busy snatching goods to help him.
By morning, the call to demonstrate emptied the streets of their usual monstrous traffic jams.
Later, the few vehicles circulating in Gombe did so with a small tree branch visible — a sign of support for the anti-Rwanda movement.
The Congolese government expressed regret over the “vandalism committed by the demonstrators” and called on “diplomatic and foreign personnel to exercise caution and restraint”, according to a note to diplomatic missions from the Congolese foreign ministry.
France denounced the attacks as “unacceptable” while Kenya said ransacking an embassy was a serious violation of international law.
Congolese authorities called for calm.
“We have the right to express our anger but let’s do it peacefully, let’s not attack the consular structures,” government spokesman Patrick Muyaya told state television RTNC.
© Agence France-Presse
