Bloody End of Electoral Campaign in Kinshasa: 10 dead and more than 40 injured

Kinshasa was reeling today from the violence that engulfed the Tshangu constituency Saturday afternoon. By Sunday evening, the death tool stood at 10 "killed by bullets" and more than 40 injured (Radio Okapi).

Tension started flaring up by mid-morning when pro-Kabila and UDPS clashed at the Place du Cinquantenaire, a short distance from the Palais du Peuple, the seat of Parliament. Tshisekedi was slated to hold his rally at the Place du Cinquantenaire, Kabila at Stade des Martyrs (Kinshasa Commune), and Kamerhe at Stade Tata Raphaël (Kalamu Commune)--all these venues are located within a radius of less than 3 km.

With tension rising to fever pitch in those areas--and following hard on the heels of the explosive morning interview of Tshisekedi in which he said that after his inevitable loss Kabila would have but one alternative left: "to go back home to Rwanda"--Kinshasa Governor took the executive decision of canceling all rallies planned in the capital city.

Still according to Radio Okapi and Radio-Trottoir newsfeeds, thousands of pro-Tshisekedi supporters were in the meantime heading for N'Djili Airport where their leader was expected to land in the afternoon from his campaign tour in Bas-Congo. Kabila, who was also coming from Bas-Congo, had landed by that time. On its way downtown, Kabila's motorcade was allegedly pelted with stones and other projectiles by pro-Tshisekedi supporters. The latter then attacked PALU offices by the bridge Pont Matete, on Boulevard Lumumba, on their way to the airport. According to Godefroid Mayobo, a PALU official, three of his party members were killed by Tshisekedi supporters in that attack.

At around 14:00 HRS Kinshasa Time (GMT + 1), Tshisekedi's plane arrived in Kinshasa and was then diverted to the military airport of Ndolo--unbeknown to the UDPS leader. Upon realizing that his plane had been diverted, Tshisekedi, with a sudden rush of hot blood in his brains, decided to drive on his red Hummer to N'Djili Airport to rally his supporters and lead them back to the Place du Cinquantenaire where he was hell-bent on holding his rally despite the Governor's ban!

The police, led by DRC acting top cop Gen Charles Bisengimana, blocked Tshisekedi's convoy from heading back downtown and dispersed the crowd with tear gas, hot water cannons, and shots fired in the air.

A.standoff ensued--with MONUSCO attempting a mediation between the police and Tshisekedi who in the meantime had been led away to the VIP lounge of N'Djili Airport. The standoff lasted till 23:30 HRS with Tshisekedi walking out of the VIP lounge, blasting MONUSCO pro-government bias, and vowing to head to the Place du Cinquantenaire to hold his rally. The police then ordered Tshisekedi's red Hummer driver to drive the UDPS leader to his residence under police escort. When the driver refused to start the Hummer, he was then pulled from the vehicle and subdued by cops, who then took upon themselves to drive Tshisekedi to his Limete residence.

Though the streets were quiet today, tension was still palpable--especially in the Tshangu district--so much so that UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon had issued a call for calm and said that security was the government's responsibility.

Saturday was no doubt the dress rehearsal of the bloody endgame Tshisekedi has in store for the government and the Kinois on December 6, the day when the electoral commission will announce the provisional results of the presidential and legislative elections...