Kinshasa has descended into chaos after the Democratic Republic of Congo’s election commission announced plans on Monday to postpone the next presidential vote, which had been slated for November. The delay is widely seen as an attempt by President Joseph Kabila to extend his presidency in defiance of a constitutional two-term limit.
Protesters have been taking to the streets all week, leading to clashes with security forces that have left scores dead. On Tuesday, assailants torched the headquarters of three Congolese opposition parties, killing at least two. Hundreds have been arrested.
The violence is the worst the central African country has seen since January 2015, when security forces cracked down on protests that erupted in response to proposed changes to the electoral law that were also seen as a maneuver by Kabila to retain power.