Congo protesters burn US and Belgian flags, target western embassies

People protest against Western partners in front of the U.S. embassy in downtown Kinshasa, on February 12, 2024. [Reuters]

Onlookers cheered as one demonstrator removed the EU flag from the entrance of a large hotel in central Kinshasa, according to videos shared on X. Reuters has not authenticated the video.

"The international community remains silent while Congolese are being killed; they finance Rwanda," said Fabrice Malumba, a motorcycle driver participating in the demonstration in front of the United States embassy.

Police fired tear gas and chased protesters.

Congo's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula met ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions in Kinshasa on Sunday. He said security measures would be taken to protect their representations.

"As you can see, we are ensuring the security of the partner embassies of the Democratic Republic of Congo in accordance with the Vienna Convention," General Blaise Mbula Kilimba Limba, Kinshasa police chief, told Reuters.

Decades of conflicts in eastern Congo between myriad rival armed groups over land and resources and brutal attacks on civilians have killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than 7 million.

Congo is the world's top supplier of cobalt and Africa's top copper producer.