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Latest update: 02/01/2012
- DR Congo - Joseph Kabila - Paris
Head of DR Congo Senate attacked in Paris
DR Congo's Senate chief and former presidential candidate Leon Kengo (pictured) was attacked at a Paris train station on Saturday, allegedly by supporters of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, the Congolese government has said.
AFP - The Congolese government Sunday condemned an attack on the country's Senate chief in Paris allegedly by supporters of President Joseph Kabila's rival and called in France's envoy to explain the incident.
France condemned the attack and said police were investigating.
The 76-year-old senator, Leon Kengo, was attacked at the Gare du Nord train station on Saturday "by bands of those who call themselves 'fighters' close to Etienne Tshisekedi", Communications Minister Lambert Mende told AFP.
Tshisekedi is a veteran opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo and runner-up in the November 28 election but he has refused to recognise Kabila's victory and has proclaimed himself the country's leader.
According to initial reports, Kengo "had some teeth knocked out, was trampled underfoot, and rolled on the ground", Mende said, adding that the lawmaker had been hospitalised in north Paris.
He had got off a train from Brussels and was getting into a waiting car when he was brutally attacked, a source close to the investigation said.
"We protest in the strongest terms this attack perpetrated in France against Congolese officials in the view and knowledge of French authorities," said Mende, calling it "totally unacceptable".
He claimed that Kengo, who came in fourth in the presidential poll with 4.95 percent of the vote, was attacked because Tshisekedi supporters were angry that he had not withdrawn his candidacy, which may have prevented their leader from being elected.
The Congolese foreign minister called in the French ambassador "because this incident is very serious and worrying to the Congolese government", Mende said.
"We regret this attack," French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told AFP.
"Security forces naturally came to his assistance as quickly as possible and French authorities ensured that he was admitted without delay to a Parisian hospital to be treated," Valero said.
"An investigation is underway," he added.
Kengo was one of the presidential candidates who had called for annulling the vote over fraud allegations. Several foreign countries and election observer missions also complained of irregularities in the vote.
Still Kengo was present at the swearing-in of Kabila to a second five-year term on December 20.
The French ambassador to Kinshasa, Luc Hallade, told AFP he denounced these "rogue methods", adding: "this is not how can advance democracy in Congo or anywhere else".
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Comments (17)
on Mauritania and benz 190
First Mauritania is not in the magrebh, its black population is being supressed you should talk about slavery and aparthaid in Mauritania instead of mercedes 190 what kind of journalist are you???
Important Informatio
Hello France 24. We don't mind about the #2 Congolese official anymore, We need to know more about the serious atrocities in eastern Congo by the rebels from Rwanda and human right abuses in kinshasa and also The occupation of the Army in Tshisekedi's resident.
who to blame
The attack on Congo's senate chief its the result of the oppression and dictatorial system that has been built in the country. we Congolese American are so concern about the holocaust in the Dr Congo and we believe that the Obama's administration,the E.U, U.N mission in Congo and also African Union have have fail and are failing to stop what going on Congolese people.
This Non sense should stop! Shame on you!
Attacking congolese leaders will not change things inside the country. if you so called "COMBATTANT" u r so concern about DRC, show your faces in Kinshasa and face the power in place. Laying your filfie hands on your own brothers and sisters will just endermine things overhere. don't you have better things to do? or you are jobless that's how you occupy yourseves??? Because of your arrogance, Tshitshi is not allow to see the front of his compound neither the beautiful Kinshasa town anymore. Everybody in the whole Congo had denounce this act as there is what we call "liberté d'oppunion et de mouvement". The next ones that will try this kind of things should be deported back to Congo and face trial (Makala, Buluwo, Angenga, Piasa prisons)and their nationality be retrieved from them. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, WE HAVE MOVED ON, LIFE CONTINUES AFTER ELECTIONS, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD YET!
who to blame
Hello Mr France 24. je viens de lire votre information sure l'agression de Mr Kengo. Je ne suis pas d'accord pour votre accusation aux partisans de Tshisekedi. Les combatants est un mouvement qui etait nee a l'epoque de la dicture de Mr Mobutu. contre les systemes d'oppression et des violation sans justice de droit de L'homme congolais. En realite le gouvernement Congolais est responsable de toute situation catastrophique que vivent les pays son peuple y compris la situation de # 2 de notre beau pays. Le peuple congolais a perdu son espoir et maintenant il se livre a la violance pour etre ecouter. domage mais c'est ca la realite pour le future du Congolais abandonnes de la planete. Dieu sauvera son peuple.
Who to
Je deplore la violation sur toute formes,mais aussi je n'arrive pas a comprendre comment les leaders politique congolais raisonnent Je suis un Congolais american vivant en Californie pendant au moins 10 ans et Je n'ai jamais vu un senateur American dans un gare central.
GREAT NEWS!!!!
I was so thrilled by the news that I finished a whole bottle of champaign on new years eve all by myself; too bad they didn't FINISH him. This is absolutely nothing compared to what many people that have been eliminated by these people had to endure. VIVA DRC and the ELECTED PRESIDENT TSHISEKEDI WA MULUMBA.
congolailes problem
we are tide with American,french,Belgium,enough is enough, people do know winch candle people your training at Congo?
Kengo attack
I am a congolese and I think nothing can stop us now for defending our right and our country.what this man was doing in france when his so called country is going trough crisis, and just for your information he was not attacked by tshisekedi supporter. these are congolese who now understant that while congolese people are struggling , their so called leader are millionnair,in europe and USA. congolese know now that their leader only care about themeself not the peoples well GOOD NEWS FOR US AND BAD NEWS FOR THEMS BECAUSE IT PAYBACK TIME.
N' importe quoi ! ces
N' importe quoi ! ces personnes ne sont pas de partisants de l'udps comme vous sembler le dire mais de congolais. Toutes les voies qu'a gagne le président TSHISEKEDI ne sont pas le fait de seul partisants de l'udps mais du peuple congolais.
Lambert Mende is saying rubbish
Kengo wa Dondo was attacked because congolese are fed up of what is actually happening in DR Congo.False winner of presidential elections,killing of the population every day by Kabila and his government.In DR Congo there are many hidden big holes were innocent people killed by the government are dropped.And compare the beating of Kengo and all this! The attackers are not from Tshisekedi party or not his partisans,but are congolese patriots who want Tshisekedi as president as he won the election and he is the real person for the change in DR Congo.So Mende don't carry on telling lies here in Europe as you usually do in the medias in DR Congo.
Congolese people rise up and fight for your right and country
While the majority of congolese people starving terribly, no proper health care, civil servants hasn't been paid for months, people getting locked up and sometimes killed for expressing their views. No justice, no democracy, no freedom of speech, impunite is the norme in the DRC, the international community are playing the blind eye. Terrible atrocities has been commited in the Congo since 1996, why the Int comm stop this massacre ?. What is more important for the WEST ( Inter Comm ) is our minerals specially the coltan, and all the rest. Mr Kengo wa dondo is one of the vilain a muppet, including kabila and company, they are prepare to sell the DRC to multi company for their own interest. Congolese free yourselfs, cause no one will do it for you. Thank you.
Kengo attacked.
Kengo is a member of opposition like the President Tshisekedi, and he was attacked by the members opposition; does it make sense to any critical mind?
What has being going on in DRC for decades has not (willingly) reported by the majority of the American as well as European media. If the media, including France24, has been reporting the congolese issues fairly, anybody would conclude that this incidence is in any manner related to election, but to killing of over 6 million people, rapes of at least 2.5 million of women, pillage of mineral resources, and enslavement of million of children that the government in which Kengo was working, and participated in one way or another.
over 6 million have died, don;t you think they might relative? The government in which Kengo worked was the most repressive in the history of the Kongo, don't you think that they could saw the sentiment of revenge?
We congolese people think that most the media try always to portray UDPS has is a violent party while they know that it is not. I am not a member of UDPS; I resist this Kabila bloody regime. I also think 3 teeth can not be compared with 6 million of congolese this regime perpetrated.
Be fair in your reporting and the credibility of your news will be boosted.
The bias of this article
The bias of this article makes me sick! If France24 reporters are not going to be objective about issues they are reporting, they should leave it alone!
18 killed by the Republican
18 killed by the Republican Guard of Kabila during post electoral tensions in DRC.
25 killed by the Republican Guard of Kabila after the elections.
Massive fraud to the advantage of Kabila´s party PPRD has been reported by international and national observers.
Congolese people all over the world are fed up with this corrupted and dictatorial regime.
Those who are calling themselves combatant are developing new tactics of opposition to the dictatorship of Kabila some in a violent and condemnable way but many others through pacifist methods by pointing out firms and companies who are profiting from the corrupt regime of Kabila.
Congolese are waking up and mobilizing themselves.
The Mendes of this world only care about filling up their own pockets…no wonder, he´s from the Mobutu old school of terror and learned from the best (as is Kengo by the way).
Enough is enough, Kabila must go. I am not a Tshisekedi partisan and I believe that 11 years of Kabila have been worst than 35 of Mobutu. If the choice of the Congolese people is not respected the country will not be governable by this troop of thieves. Millions have already died in DRC and more are dying right now under the current regime of brigands.
The french Government should show some maturity and support the Congolese people and not the dictator...
WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THE BLAME
WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THE BLAME ON TSHISEKEDI?????? THE PEOPLE THAT ATTACKED KENGO WA DONDO ARE SIMPLY AGAINST KABILA GOVERNMENT AND THATS IT.
IT WAS PEOPLE OF THE CONGO THAT WAS DEFENSSE THEIR COUNTRY
Myself I am Congolais not in any political party! I think we peolple of Congo have same rigth as the USA army and France army, to defend us from enemy like Kengo and dictator Kabila!
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