A student was killed on Saturday July 24 in Kinshasa by a police officer who accused him of not wearing a mask while recording a video, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a third wave of Covid-19, have reported Sunday, July 25 from witnesses and media.
Read also: Covid-19: the underestimated epidemic in Africa
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Our comrade Honoré Shama, student of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Kinshasa, was filming a video as part of practical work in comedy.
A police officer asked him to wear his mask during the filming,
”Patient Odia, his comrade present during the incident, told AFP.
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Despite his explanations and after showing the mask, the policeman, angry because he was waiting instead to receive money, accused him of resisting and shot him at close range,
" he said. he added.
Other testimonies were also collected by Top Congo radio, which is widely followed in the DRC, as well as several online media.
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The police arrested two policemen, who were present during the incident caused by their irresponsible fugitive police colleague as well as the head of the Bel Air police station in Mont Ngafula.
The search continues to find the fugitive policeman
, ”General Sylvano Kasongo, Kinshasa police chief told AFP.
Wearing a mask is compulsory under pain of a fine of 10,000 Congolese francs ($ 5).
But in Kinshasa, the police are regularly accused of harassment and pocketing the money from the fines without issuing a receipt.
Read also: Covid-19: Africa fears a stronger wave than the previous ones
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, the DRC has recorded 47,786 cases and 1,021 deaths, according to statistics from health authorities released on Friday. Since July 10, vaccination has been suspended in the country, the stock of the AstraZeneca vaccine available having passed its expiry date.