Congolese authorities failed to intervene as assailants vandalized the homes of two opposition leaders on Saturday. At least 24 people were detained in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Bunia after apparently politically motivated arrests.

Fabrice Bakalufu, member of the opposition party Union of Democracy and Social Progress (UPDS), was beaten by police on November 18. Two of his colleagues were arrested and remain in detention. © 2016 Human Rights Watch

Dozens of unidentified assailants vandalized the homes of Mwando Nsimba, one of the leaders of the G7 opposition coalition, and his son and Member of Parliament, Christian Mwando in Lubumbashi on November 19. © 2016 Private

Members of the youth movement Filimbi holding yellow cards in the eastern city of Bunia. Police arrested Filimbi activist Joseph Ubegiu at midday as he was heading towards a planned demonstration. Later that day, authorities arrested two other protesters in Bunia for wearing yellow shirts or holding yellow cards. They remain in detention. © 2016 Private

The Filimbi representative for Kinshasa, Carbone Beni, was abducted late at night on November 19 and badly beaten by unknown assailants. They let him go the next morning. © 2016 Private

Few demonstrators responded to calls for a nationwide protest on Saturday by the “Rassemblement” opposition coalition, in part due to the continued crackdown by authorities.

In the southern city of Lubumbashi, security forces surrounded the house of opposition leader Gabriel Kyungu. Dozens of unidentified assailants vandalized the homes of Mwando Nsimba, one of the leaders of the G7 opposition coalition, and his son and Member of Parliament, Christian Mwando.

Security forces arrested at least 16 people in Lubumbashi, apparently for wearing yellow shirts – symbolizing President Joseph Kabila’s final yellow card, or warning, before he is due to step down on December 19.

In the eastern city of Bunia, police arrested an activist from the youth movement Filimbi, Joseph Ubegiu, at midday as he was heading toward a demonstration. Later that day, authorities arrested two other protesters in Bunia for wearing yellow shirts and holding yellow cards. They remain in detention.

In Kinshasa, authorities arrested at least four members of the opposition party Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) on Saturday and prevented the opposition from holding a public meeting. Police surrounded the home of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi to prevent him from leaving, as they had done earlier in advance of a planned opposition rally on November 5. Authorities also organized soccer matches throughout the day at the site of the planned demonstration, apparently to block access to the areas where people were due to congregate for the meeting.

Unknown assailants abducted the Filimbi representative for Kinshasa, Carbone Beni, late Saturday night and badly beat him. They let him go the next morning.

Given the government’s unlawful ban on public meetings, opposition parties held private meetings in Beni and Uvira. In Bukavu, the opposition succeeded in holding the only public gathering with several dozen demonstrators, and no security incidents were reported.

On Thursday and Friday, Congolese authorities arrested more than a dozen opposition members for unknown reasons. They remain in detention without charge. Police beat another UDPS party member, Fabrice Bakalufu, but he was not arrested.

Meanwhile, the signal for Radio France Internationale remains blocked in Kinshasa, for the sixteenth day.