DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Four police officers were killed on Friday as they framed a demonstration against insecurity in an important commercial hub in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, plagued by armed violence.
During this demonstration, armed men mixed with the crowd emerged near the Kangote district in Butembo (North Kivu, east) and fired on police officers who were surrounding the demonstrators, explained Colonel Mozebo E'pape, head of the army of the city of Butembo.
" The provisional toll is four policemen killed by these assailants who were among the protesters, three jeeps were set on fire ," said the officer whose men came to the rescue of the police, as gunfire was still heard in the city.
" The security forces have been under attack since this morning in Butembo (...). At least two police officers, including the deputy commander of the (police) have been killed ," wrote the Kivu Security Barometer (KST) . who have experts in that city.
" The situation is serious at the moment. An armed group whose origin we do not know seems to be invading Butembo from the side of the Kangote district ", underlined Mathe Saanane, president of civil society in Butembo.
Four blue helmets were killed in Butembo on July 26 during demonstrations against the United Nations. The situation has been tense in Butembo since the beginning of the week. On Wednesday, two police officers were killed in an attack on Butembo prison by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group presented by the Islamic State organization (IS) as its branch in Central Africa (ISCAP in English).