Police disperse Katumbi's supporters in DR Congo

Police in the democratic Republic of Congo fired tear gas towards thousands of opposition supporters of Moise Katumbi on Wednesday for protesting over unprecedented harassment of their candidate.

#BREAKING DR Congo police disperse thousands of supporters of opposition leader

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 11, 2016

The demonstrators had tried to force their way into a court in the southern city of Lubumbashi where Katumbi was due to appear for a second hearing but the police intervened.

The politician is accused to have recruited foreign mercenaries including Americans and South Africans to destabilize the government, a charge he denies.

Katumbi has reacted to the allegations saying that his opponents are looking for ways to destabilize his political career and that he would never take up arms to secure power.

The accusations came days after he confirmed he would accept an opposition coalition’s nomination as its presidential candidate.

Katumbi was once an ally of president Joseph Kabila for a decade but quit the ruling party in November, over the president’s plans to split several provinces, including mineral-rich Katanga, of which he was governor.