Concerned by Reports of Security Forces in Democratic Republic of Congo Violently Dispersing Protests, Secretary-General Calls for Restraint

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General expresses concern about reports of the violent dispersion of protests by national security forces in Kinshasa and a number of cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in the death of at least five people, the wounding of several others and the arrest of over 120 persons.

The Secretary-General calls on the Government and national security forces to exercise restraint and to uphold the rights of the Congolese people to the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.

The Secretary-General urges all Congolese political actors to remain fully committed to the 31 December 2016 political agreement, which remains the only viable path to the holding of elections, the peaceful transfer of power and the consolidation of stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.