By Godfrey Olukya
ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo (AA) - The opposition leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo said Wednesday he is being held hostage in a hotel to prevent him from rallying supporters to demand elections.
Felix Tshisekedi said that for the last two days he has not been allowed to leave the hotel in the southeastern city of Lubumbashi where he has been staying to address a rally of supporters.
On Sunday, the 53-year-old politician traveled to Lubumbashi to mobilize supporters into pressuring President Joseph Kabila to hold elections.
In a statement, Tshisekedi accused the police and city authorities of blocking him from attending the rally.
“I have been prevented from meeting my supporters. The road from the hotel to the rally venue has been blocked by police. They deployed a belt of armed policemen to prevent me from going there,” he said.
Twenty-eight of his supporters who were arrested on Sunday while waiting for him have been released after the UN mission in the country intervened.
There has been rising political tension in the country ever since Kabila refused to leave office when his term expired last year,