PROTESTSThe country's powerful Catholic Church, one of the few institutions to enjoy broad credibility nationally, had called for the rallies despite a government ban on all demonstrations. Guterres "urges the Congolese security forces to exercise restraint", his spokesman said in the statement, and "called upon all concerned to ensure full respect for places of worship". The UN peacekeeping mission Monusco said six people were killed in Kinshasa and scores injured nationwide in the rallies. His constitutional term in office expired in December 2016 but he has stayed on, stoking a bloody spiral of violence. Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office provided new elections were held in 2017.

Source: Daily Nation January 23, 2018 03:45 UTC