DR Congo: At Least 5 Dead in Clashes
Authorities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have announced that at least 5 people were killed in clashes that erupted between security forces and residents who stormed a police station in protest of the lack of security in the city of Kirumba.
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Residents of the region have organized demonstrations this week in protest of the lack of security in the city of Kirumba
Donat Mandongo, the military administrator of Lubero territory in North Kivu Province, said that angry residents tried to storm the police station in Kirumba to take revenge on a man caught stealing a motorcycle, but the police confronted them.
Mandongo told AFP that the situation escalated as the number of people gathering in front of the police station increased, and the police had to shoot in the air to disperse the angry residents.
The military administrator mentioned that 4 people were killed by stray bullets and 7 others were injured, while the motorcycle thief died charred inside the police station that was set on fire by the angry residents.
The security situation remains tense as protesters continue to burn the homes of police officers in Kirumba, expressed Mandongo.
Residents of Kirumba have been demonstrating since Thursday against the local authorities' inability to put an end to the recent wave of kidnappings in their city.
On Friday, protesters set public buildings on fire during a demonstration that witnessed the death of one person by the police.
Kirumba is located in Lubero Region, where many armed groups are active, and is 175 km north of Goma, the Provincial Capital.
