A US envoy has reportedly been harassed in the Democratic Republic of Congo after he called for clarity on the presidential elections, which were schedule for November.
According to BBC, the US special envoy Tom Perriello had tweeted hours earlier saying that the Congolese people deserved to know the fate of the presidential elections.
I hope GDRC will focus on solving crisis, not staging photo ops. Congolese people deserve clarity on elections/Constit, not distractions.
The US embassy in the DRC confirmed on Twitter that Perriello had been harassed at an airport in the central African country.
US Embassy outraged & strongly protests harassment of@US_SEGL Perriello at #DRC airport
United States urges commitment to protection of political rights and non-violence in the DRC. http://go.usa.gov/xK5HT
U.S. statement: Alarm Over Protests and Harassment of the U.S. Special Envoy in the DRC
Over 50 people, including two police officers, were reported dead on Monday in clashesbetween protesters and security forces in the capital.
A witness was quoted as saying that one of the policemen was torched to death as protesters demanded that Kabila step down at the end of his presidential term.
Protesters torched cars and set up barricades in one of the capital’s main roads, as police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
The government earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa ahead of a planned opposition rally, but had warned that the death toll could rise.
