Troops Reportedly Kill 3 Protesters

Government troops fired on a crowd of 1,000 protesters in Kinshasa, the capital, killing at least three people, according to witness accounts. But the Interior Ministry denied any deaths. It was the worst clash in Kinshasa between protesters and security forces since Laurent Kabila’s rebel army toppled longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in May. Kabila has proclaimed himself president and renamed Zaire the Democratic Republic of Congo. Interior Minister Mwenze Kongolo said gunfire wounded four protesters, but he contended that security forces were trying to fire only warning shots.