DR Congo protest to oust Kabila

The opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on strike. President Kabila’s opponents hope to force him to announce a date for elections. But the government won’t budge and it still has some aces up its sleeve.Kinshasa is holding its breath. On the second of a two-day general strike launched on Tuesday, life has slowed down in the usually very quirky capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The strike was organized by the Lucha Movement, a group of young people able to mobilize large segments of the civil society. Almost all commerce in the center of the capital was shut down. Security forces increased their presence in the streets of Kinshasa. While access to social media platforms has been restricted, Twitter users are posting pictures showing empty streets at rush hour
The protesters want the electoral commission to announce a timetable for upcoming elections and President Joseph Kabila to step down. "The situation is very clear," said Denis Kadima, director of the South Africa-based think tank, Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA). "Joseph Kabila's mandate has expired. The same applies to parliament and to the provincial assemblies and governments."
The president's term ended in December of 2016. On New Year's Eve, the government and the opposition agreed on elections by the end of 2017. There is no mention of this anymore. The chairman of the electoral commission, Corneille Nangaa, now merely promises to announce a timetable before the year is up.