It is a case of finger pointing, the government blamed the sect while the sect blamed the government. Underlying the accusations, it sounds like Bas-Congo wants to succeed from the nation. Succession is frequently mentioned by those provinces with natural resources. Another province is the mineral rich Katanga area.
The government said the sect "systematically undermined the state’s authority by attacking police officers or burning flags, and forbidding the singing of the national anthem in schools". The sect "accused the government of bombing civilians and called for talks on the region’s governance, such as, alleged electoral fraud as well as unfair distribution of natural resources in Bas-Congo, the only oil-producing part of the country".
Link: The Times - Article.
Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday (Saturday, March 9?) stormed the headquarters of a politico-religious movement, Bundu dia Kongo (BDK), killing between four and six people, officials said.
"We mounted an operation to remove BDK followers from their headquarters. The operation is now complete; it was a success," a police officer in Matadi, capital of Bas-Congo province, told AFP. No official toll was given, but local and diplomatic officials who requested anonymity said four to six had died, with several people wounded as well.
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