Congo police open fire on sect supporters in capital Kinshasa

by Dramelin 12:30 AM 0 comments

The assault on the home of Ne Muanda Nsemi, a self-proclaimed prophet and leader of the Bundu dia Kongo (BDK) sect, began around 4:30 a.m. local time. It was unclear whether the BDK supporters, who could be seen on the roofs of several nearby buildings in their distinctive white robes and red head-dress, were armed. KINSHASA Police in Democratic Republic of Congo launched an assault on the residence of the leader of a separatist religious sect in Kinshasa early on Tuesday and fired live ammunition and tear gas at his supporters, a Reuters witness said. Nsemi founded BDK in the 1980s, seeking to revive the pre-colonial Kongo kingdom, which flourished for centuries around the mouth of the Congo river on central Africa`s Atlantic coast. Dozens of police were involved in the operation and gunfire could be heard in the capital`s Ma Campagne district after daybreak, the witness said.