Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jan 24, 2018 / 11:58 am
After security forces killed at least six people participating in Church-organized protests this weekend, the Archbishop of Kinshasa has likened his country to an "open prison".
The protesters were calling for Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to step down. His two-term limit expired in December 2016, but he has refused to resign and has not allowed elections to be held.
"We were dispersed by tear gas, stun grenades and live bullets. We have again seen deaths, injuries, priests being arrested, and the theft of citizens' property," Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya said Jan. 23 at a church in the capital, Kinshasa.
"Christians were prevented from praying. Others were prevented from leaving by … police and military who were armed as if they had been on a battlefield," he said.