Congo’s opposition has said it will obey a ban on public demonstrations after deadly street violence, cancelling a Friday protest against a referendum that could allow the president to extend his three decades in office.
The country has been rocked by protests ahead of the planned referendum on Sunday to amend the constitution to allow long-ruling President Denis Sassou Nguesso to run for another term in 2016.
“We decided to cancel our meeting tomorrow because the Brazzaville prefecture told us that all gatherings were banned on Friday in the public square,” opposition leader Mpouele Paul-Marie told AFP yesterday.
Authorities said no fewer than four people had been killed in unrest after clashes on Tuesday between demonstrators and security forces in Brazzaville and the country’s economic capital Pointe-Naira.
However, Mpouele said at least 20 people had died in the unrest.
The referendum proposes changing the constitution to increase the maximum age of presidential candidates, currently 70, and scrapping a rule that limits the number of seven-year terms to two.
Sassou Nguesso, 71, cannot run for a new term because of his age and the fact he has already served two seven-year terms.
“We ask our supporters to remain vigilant, to be ready for new instructions, and to reject the referendum,” said Mpouele, calling on everyone to “avoid all violent acts”.
On Wednesday the opposition said six of its officials had been arrested in Brazzaville as they prepared to give a news conference.
All six were members of the Republican Front for the Respect of Constitutional Order and Democratic Change (FROCAD), one of the two groups opposing the referendum.
For the third day running Thursday, mobile Internet, text messaging services and French radio RFI’s signal were cut throughout the capital.