Dakar: More than 40 people died and dozens were injured while protesters from a religious sect gathered in the Congolese city of Goma, national authorities said.
Congo’s communications ministry said violence related to planned protests led to 43 deaths and 56 injuries, raising the preliminary death toll of seven announced by the army on Wednesday. Dozens were being treated for severe injuries in nearby hospitals, and the UN human rights office said Friday more than 220 people were arrested.
“People have a right to express themselves freely and to assemble peacefully, even if in protest at the United Nations and other actors,” UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.
The protest was organized by a sect called the Natural Judaic and Messianic Faith Towards the Nations.