Hundreds of Goma residents in the Democratic Republic of Congo trooped out in protest against the arrival of Rwandese security agents in the region. They erected barricades on several roads blocking traffic.
Clashes erupted between angry youths and local police resulting in several injuries and the death of a policeman on Monday in Goma, the capital of North Kivu.
A protester said: “We as Congolese have been suffering for a long time. We are demonstrating to say no to the arrival of Rwandan police in our country, we refuse because we have our own police force.”
The police dispersed the demonstrators with tear gas canisters and live rounds. Reports say a policeman and another protester were killed and dozens of others injured.
The general commissioner of the Congolese national police denied this allegation on Saturday saying no external police were to come to Goma. He tagged this allegation as false.
Banks, schools and the main market in the city centre were closed following the call for general shutdown over rising crime in the city of 600,000 people.
