This archive report was first published on 5 September 2019.
Published on September 5, 2019, protests in Lubumbashi, DR Congo's second largest city, turned violent as demonstrators attacked the South African consulate and South African-owned stores.
The demonstration, called by a campaign group, Lucha, outside the consulate spiralled out of control, with protestors smashing the building's windows.
They then targeted a store owned by the South African retail group MRP, looting its contents before police intervened, injuring one or two protestors.
Lucha expressed its disapproval of the violence, tweeting, "You do not condemn violence by violence! We call on the police to stop the looters, without using excessive/legal force."
Violence in Johannesburg, South Africa, had already left seven dead and dozens of shops destroyed, mostly foreign-owned, with over 350 people arrested.
Foreign workers often face anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa, where they compete with locals for jobs, particularly in low-skilled industries.
The violence has sparked angry demonstrations in Nigeria and expressions of concern in countries around southern Africa, many of whom have citizens working in South Africa, the continent's biggest economy.
