DR Congo hit by pre-vote violence

27 November 2011 Last updated at 02:11 GMT

Etienne Tshisekedi was blocked in at the airport by police for eight hours

Tension is high in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after violence at pre-election rallies left at least two people dead.

Supporters of President Joseph Kabila and the main opposition candidate, Etienne Tshisekedi, pelted each other with stones and police fired tear gas.

Final rallies were due to be held on Saturday ahead of Monday’s parliamentary and presidential vote.

But police banned them at the last minute after the violence.

“Because of the escalating violence seen in Kinshasa, all public demonstrations and other political meetings are cancelled this Saturday,” Governor Andre Kimbuta said. “This is for a better result of the electoral process.”

Mr Kabila and his two main rivals had been due to hold rallies within several hundred metres of each other, at the capital’s main stadium.

Ballots delayed

Mr Tshisekedi of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) defied the police ban, telling supporters: “We are going to Stade des Martyrs. That’s where I’m going to hold my rally.”

Tens of thousands of people had gathered at Kinshasa main airport to welcome him, the Associated Press reported.

However, his car was blocked by police, who parked a large armoured truck across the road hemming him in for eight hours.

Political supporters have come into close proximity in Kinshasa

He told reporters: “I’ll call the population of Kinshasa to come here.

“We are not going to let a few injuries stop us fighting now.”

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds and a number of UDPS officials were reported to have been roughed up or arrested.

According to Reuters, who quoted a UN source, Mr Tshisekedi was eventually escorted to his home by the police.

The elections on Monday see 11 candidates running for president and more than 18,000 candidates for the 500-seat parliament.

It will be the second presidential poll since the 1998-2003 war.

However, there are concerns over the distribution of ballot papers, as some planes bound for the country’s regions have been unable to take off because of bad weather.

Mr Tshisekedi has also alleged that the head of the national election commission favoured Mr Kabila, and that “ghost” polling stations would be used to rig the result.

The last election, in 2006, was marred by weeks of street battles led by supporters of the losing candidate.

The BBC’s correspondent in Kinshasa, Will Ross, said whether it is peaceful or not this time will depend to a great extent on the behaviour of the candidates and whether the losers are willing to accept defeat.

Inside DR Congo

• SIZE
• MINERAL WEALTH
• TRANSPORT
• POPULATION
• DATA

The Democratic Republic of Congo covers 2,344,858 square km of land in the centre of Africa, making it the 12th largest country in the world.

DR Congo has abundant mineral wealth. It has more than 70% of the world’s coltan, used to make vital components of mobile phones, 30% of the planet’s diamond reserves and vast deposits of cobalt, copper and bauxite. This wealth however has attracted looters and fuelled the country’s civil war.

Despite the country’s size, transport infrastructure is very poor. Of 153,497km of roads, only 2,794km are paved. There are around 4,000 km of railways but much is narrow-gauge track and in poor condition. Waterways are vital to transport goods but journeys can take months to complete. Overcrowded boats frequently capsize, while DR Congo has more plane crashes than any other country.

With an estimated population of 71 million, DR Congo is the fourth most populous country in Africa. Some 35% of the population live in cities and the capital Kinshasa is by far the largest, with more than 8 million inhabitants. DR Congo has around 200 ethnic identities with the majority of people belonging to the Kongo, Luba and Mongo groups.

Given its size and resources DR Congo should be a prosperous country, but years of war, corruption and economic mismanagement have left it desperately poor. In 2011 it lags far behind in many key development indicators, with average life expectancy increasing by only 2 years since 1980, after a period when it actually fell during the mid 1990s.