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Uneasy calm has returned to Kinshasa Wednesday, just two days after violent and bloody protests witnessed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) capital between Sept. 19 and 20.
On Wednesday morning, some sporadic gun shots were heard in Yolo and Camp Luka communes, two "hot suburbs" on the periphery of Kinshasa.
Along the streets and avenues, security officers were seen removing roadblocks set up by protesters, while city workers were seen cleaning up the dirt thrown on the roads.
In the city center, normalcy has been restored, with shop owners along the June 30 boulevard starting to open their shops.
Sept. 19 and 20 will be remembered as sad days in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On these particular dates, a protest called by the opposition turned violent, leading to the loss of 32 lives, according to police.
Hundreds of people were arrested. According to the UN Stabilization Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO), majority of them are being held at Kokol camp.
The violence, which also affected journalists, has been termed by some analysts as an attack on the freedom of expression.
Through the protests, which are political in nature, the Congolese people have expressed their determination to ensure elections are held and change is brought at the helm of the country's leadership. Most people believe this will improve the people's economic and social situation.
In almost all the peripheral suburbs of Kinshasa where the violence was intense, the population lives in misery and extreme poverty.
In most of these poor suburbs, unemployment rate is very high. Many youths here are jobless, without a house and with little assistance from the government. In these poor suburbs, it is easy to find people aged between 20 to 45 years still living with their parents.
When he was elected in 2006, Joseph Kabila promised to fight joblessness. He promised jobs to youths. But unfortunately, today, unemployment rate stands at 80 percent, one of the highest on the African continent, a study by a local NGO revealed.
Another cause for the violence is the misery and poverty, though they could have been avoided. They have been caused by the egoism of the Congolese political actors who only pursue their personal interests instead of the communal interests.
The population's anger is also explained by the fact that during the re-opening of schools in September this year, many parents were not able to send their children to school due to lack of financial resources and exorbitant school fees.
Because of these issues, majority of the Congolese people have expressed their determination to see Kabila leave power before 2017. His continued stay in power symbolizes a "bleak future for us", some angry protesters said.
(APD)
