Congo security forces crush rival swearing-in plan

Congo security forces crush rival swearing-in plan

Congo security forces squashed an attempt by top opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi to swear himself in as president on Friday.

The forces blocked him in his residence, threw tear gas and arrested his supporters.

Riot trucks and pickups loaded with police carrying tear gas, grenade launchers and rifles sped through Kinshasa's streets, while tanks and heavily armed; red beret republican guards were deployed inside the stadium grounds where Tshisekedi had planned his rival swearing-in ceremony.

Outside the stadium, hundreds of Tshisekedi supporters in small groups threw rocks at security forces before being pushed into backstreets by tear gas in a cat-and-mouse battle. Police arrested dozens of people. There was no sign of serious injuries.

When people were able to regroup, they chanted "Tshisekedi is president", danced, and resumed throwing rocks.

Disputed re-election

Tshisekedi disputes the re-election of President Joseph Kabila in a November 28 vote that the opposition rejected as fraudulent and international observers criticised for procedural chaos and irregularities. Kabila was sworn in for a new term in the vast central African state on December 20.

Congo's chief of police, Charles Bisengimana, said the opposition UDPS party had not been granted permission to protest and that security forces were attempting to keep the peace.

"We received no notification of a protest from UDPS so police are maintaining public order so people can go about their business," Bisengimana said.

A spokesman for the UDPS, Remy Masamba, said Police sealed off the area around Tshisekedi's residence in the capital from early morning, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the area while Tshisekedi remained at home.

"I think he's waiting for a weakness in the (police) defences to be able to get out. We may have to wait a bit but we're going to keep trying," Masamba said.

Kabila's inauguration earlier this week was held in a heavily guarded compound near the banks of the Congo River, and was attended by only one foreign head of state, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

Ambassadors from the United States, France and the United Kingdom were present, though Washington and the European Union had rapped Congo's Supreme Court for ratifying Kabila's victory without fully addressing evidence of irregularities.

The US-based Carter Center observer mission said some results from Kabila strongholds showed impossibly high turnout and support for Kabila, while some results from Tshisekedi bastions were missing.

Human Rights Watch has said more than 40 people have been killed in election-related violence. The government has disputed the claim, citing a lack of evidence.

Congo is a major producer of cobalt, copper, gold and diamonds. The election was the second since a 1998-2003 war that killed more than 5 million people, and was meant to shore up the country's fragile gains in stability.

REUTERS/Williams/Cokey