DRC's opposition leader arrested ahead of planned strike

A prominent opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been arrested ahead of a planned general strike against President Joseph Kabila on Tuesday.

According to the United Nations, Martin Fayulu, President of the ECIDE (Engagement for Citizenship and Development) party was on Sunday afternoon detained together with one of the organisers of Tuesday’s strike.

The government has however not commented on the issue.

Opposition leaders in the country have called on all Congolese to stay home on Tuesday in a strike aimed at forcing the President to step down this year.

President Kabila who has been in office for 15 years is required by the country’s constitution to stand aside in December.

Critics however accuse him of trying to delay a presidential vote slated for November in order to stay in office.

The Director of the U.N.‘s Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) in Congo, Jose Maria Aranaz said it is not clear if the opposition leader had been detained by police or the military.

But a parliamentarian from the ECIDE party said Fayulu was in the custody of the country’s intelligence services.