Three persons were killed on 17 August 2016 in Beni during youth demonstrations to protest against the recent killing of civilians that part of the country.
Credible sources on the ground indicated that most demonstrators came from the cities surrounding Beni, including from Butembo. They took to Beni’s streets and put roadblocks in anger against the government’s incapacity to bring security in and around the city.
Those killed include a police officer, a civilian hit by a stray bullet while the other, believed to be a member of the ADF rebel forces, was victim of angry crowd vigilante.
Anti-riot police and army used tear gases to disperse the crowds and were still deployed late in the evening in strategic locations of Beni.
Demonstrations occurred as high level government delegation comprising of Vice Prime Minister in charge of Decentralisation and Defence Minister was still town. The Prime Minister Matata Ponyo Matata was booed by the populations in Beni on 16 1August 2016 when he arrived with the delegation.
The killings in Beni have claimed more than a thousand lives since 2014 and are said to be perpetrated by the ADF.