This archive report was first published on 5 September 2019.
On September 5, 2019, a demonstration outside the South African consulate in Lubumbashi, DR Congo's second largest city, turned violent. Protestors smashed the consulate's windows and attacked a store owned by the South African retail group MRP.
According to an AFP reporter, the police intervened, injuring one or two protestors. The campaign group Lucha tweeted its disapproval, saying, "You do not condemn violence by violence! We call on the police to stop the looters, without using excessive/legal force."
The violence in South Africa has led to angry demonstrations in Nigeria and expressions of concern in countries around southern Africa. More than 350 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks, which left seven dead and dozens of shops destroyed, mostly foreign-owned.
