Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say two students have been killed after police officers shot at them for protesting.
The students were shot at on Monday at the university of Kinshasa, the city’s police chief said on Friday.
Police chief General Sylvano Kasongo said in a statement that the students “lost their lives following injuries caused by bullets”.
Local media reports that the victims were part of several students who thronged the streets to demonstrate against a two-month strike by their lecturers.
Angry students on Friday staged another protest, clashing with police officers. Police officers reportedly sustained injuries and several properties destroyed.
Police chief Kasongo called for calm saying “The police officer who fired Monday at one of the students who died has been detained and will face a military hearing.”
Police were however able to crackdown on Friday’s protests by the students.
The country’s higher education minister Steve Mbikayi wrote on Twitter that “Live ammunition is outlawed on university sites. I demand an exemplary punishment for the police officers responsible for firing the fatal shots.”
Source: Africafeeds.com
