Demonstrators point to a broken billboard showing the face of Congolese President Joseph Kabila during an opposition rally in Kinshasa on September 19, 2016. By Eduardo Soteras (AFP)

Kinshasa (AFP) - More than 50 people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in the capital of the DR Congo on Monday, opposition groups said in a statement which also called for further demonstrations.

The government had earlier said that at least 17 had died in the violence in Kinshasa, but had warned that the death toll could rise. </s> A man screams as people gather to protest in the neighbourhood of Yolo in Kinshasa on December 20, 2016. By Eduardo Soteras (AFP)

Kinshasa (AFP) - At least 11 people were killed in DR Congo on Tuesday as clashes erupted during protests against President Joseph Kabila who is refusing to leave office as his mandate ends, officials said.

Nine people died in Kinshasa during protests to demand that Kabila step down, a government spokesman said, while a protester and a policeman were killed in the second city Lubumbashi according the region's governor.

"In Kinshasa there were nine dead, not a single one more," said Lambert Mende, the government's chief spokesman.

The UN's mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, had earlier said it was probing reliable reports that around 20 people had been killed in the country's capital during protests.

Governor Jean-Claude Kazembe said that along with the two fatalities in Lubumbashi, three people had been hurt in clashes.

Kabila appears determined to cling on to power, and tensions in DR Congo have been running high, with police massing in the cities and many people staying home to avoid violence. </s> At least 44 people were killed in protests against Congolese President Joseph Kabila, including 37 killed by security forces and six police officers killed by demonstrators.

The protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo started on Monday after the election commission decided to try to postpone the next presidential vote, due in November.

Kabila's opponents say the proposed delay is a manoeuvre to keep the president in power although ruling party politicians deny this. Kabila is barred constitutionally from running for a third term and his allies say he will respect the constitution.

With the unrest forcing schools to close and halting public transport in the sprawling riverside capital, the United Nations expressed fears the situation could worsen.

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Overnight, several people were killed when security forces burned down the headquarters of the main opposition party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), and attacked buildings of other opposition parties, HRW Africa researcher for the New York-based group, Ida Sawyer, said.

17 people had been killed overnight and on Tuesday, while 20 had been killed on Monday, she said.

"Most were killed when security forces fired on crowds of protesters," she said.

"We've also received credible reports that protesters have killed at least six police officers and a [ruling party] PPRD supporter and they have also burned and looted several shops and police stations," Sawyer said.

The fire - a criminal act - started between 2am and 4am on Monday (1200-1300 NZ time), said opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, a UDPS official and son of veteran opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi, who lost to Kabila in a 2011 presidential run-off after five decades of active involvement in Congolese politics.

Congo has not had a peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

"We have on our hands seven dead and two people who were amputated: one at the arm and another at the leg, in the fire at our headquarters in Limete. There are also multiple people wounded at the hospital," Felix Tshisekedi told Reuters.

Tshisekedi, who has called for further protests, said: "We won't live with this barbarity. The people are angry." Witnesses said calm has returned to central Kinshasa by Tuesday afternoon, though there were reports of clashes in the suburbs.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende condemned the attack on the UDPS but denied security forces were involved.

Interior ministry spokesman Claude Pero Luwara told Reuters the death toll stood at 17 and said Human Rights Watch's statement was a "typical" exaggeration by the group. The ministry had earlier said three of those killed were policemen.

Kabila took power in 2001 when his father was assassinated but must step down in December.

His opponents fear he may follow the example of leaders in other African countries such as Burundi and Rwanda and change the constitution to extend his rule.

Tom Perriello, U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, said Washington would hold all sides accountable for their actions during the latest violence and that the government could easily have taken steps to defuse tension.

"Unfortunately, the pattern over the last year has been to dramatically reduce that open political space ... We have seen a crackdown on the rights and freedoms of Congolese people," he told a news conference in New York.

"We remain ready to impose additional targeted sanctions on individuals who have been involved in abuses or violence," said Perriello, who was verbally harassed and obstructed at Kinshasa airport as he left on Sunday.

Adding to the mix of disapproval, Congo's powerful Catholic church temporarily suspend its participation in talks between the government, some opposition parties and civil society groups over the election timetable, local media said.

Nearly 200 people were believed to have been arrested on Monday and the UN received reports of excessive use of force by security forces, UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva.

Congo is Africa's top copper producer but many Congolese people have yet to benefit from the country's mineral wealth. </s> Congolese protesters scatter as South African police open fire with rubber bullets whilst they protest outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo's embassy in defiance of their President, Joseph Kabila on December 20, 2016 in Pretoria. AFP PHOTO

At least 11 people were killed in DR Congo on Tuesday as clashes erupted during protests against President Joseph Kabila who is refusing to leave office as his mandate ends, officials said.

Nine people died in Kinshasa during protests to demand that President Kabila step down, a government spokesman said, while a protester and a policeman were killed in the second city Lubumbashi according the region's governor.

"In Kinshasa there were nine dead, not a single one more," said Mr Lambert Mende, the government's chief spokesman.

The UN's mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, had earlier said it was probing reliable reports that around 20 people had been killed in the country's capital during protests.

Governor Jean-Claude Kazembe said that along with the two fatalities in Lubumbashi, three people had been hurt in clashes.

President Kabila appears determined to cling on to power, and tensions in DR Congo have been running high, with police massing in the cities and many people staying home to avoid violence. </s> KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The United Nations says at least two people have been killed after attacks on the headquarters of five opposition political parties in Congo late Monday.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights statement also says riots erupted early Tuesday, with shots fired.

Congo's government has said at least 17 were killed Monday in clashes between security forces and demonstrators opposed to President Joseph Kabila. The U.N. says about 200 have been arrested.

People stand near burning debris during election protests in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016. Witnesses say at least four people are dead after opposition protests against a delayed presidential election turned violent in Congo's capital. The protests were organized by activists who are opposed to longtime President Joseph Kabila, who is now expected to stay in office after his mandate ends in December. (AP Photo/John Bompengo)

Congo has seen rising tensions as Kabila is expected to stay in office after his mandate ends in December. The electoral commission says November's scheduled presidential vote won't be possible.

A court has determined Kabila can stay in power until another vote is organized.

The U.N. notes reports of "excessive use of force" by security forces and demonstrators. </s> Organizers of anti-government marches in Congo say security forces shot dead at least four people and wounded dozens more in Sunday’s nationwide protest against President Joseph Kabila’s extended rule.

The Lay Coordination Committee on Monday announced that people were killed in Kinshasa, Mbandaka and Kisangani. Church organizations have been staging demonstrations against long-delayed elections, and the international community has criticized Congolese security forces for violent crackdowns on the protests.

Kabila was meant to leave office in December 2016 but elections have been repeatedly postponed. Congo’s government now says the vote will be in December.

The United Nations mission in Congo says 47 people were wounded in Sunday’s protests and more than 100 were arrested. It calls on Congolese authorities to carry out credible investigations.
The United Nations reports that from January 2017 to January 2018 a total of 47 people were killed in protests against Congolese President Joseph Kabila.