A Lubumbashi resident contacted on telephone by APA, reported that on Monday morning he saw groups of students onlookers and delinquents committing acts of vandalism in the city center of the capital of Haut-Katanga province.
According to the presidency statement, the students were killed following incidents caused by a police colonel who ordered to shoot without warning students who were demanding the restoration of electricity and water, cut off for three days at the university campus site.
They also demanded the readjustment of academic fees announced by the Minister of Higher and University Education, who must be heard on this fact, according to the presidency.
The measure readjusting these costs has already been suspended, it was reported. However, other sources have reported two deaths as a result of these incidents namely, a student killed by a stray bullet and a police officer crushed by a vehicle, in addition to several injuries, some of which were serious.
In the latest development, the National Electricity Company (SNEL) announced that it had restored electricity to the Lubumbashi University Campus site.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Haut-Katanga, Celestin Panda Kapopo, chaired a meeting of the provincial Security Council on Monday to discuss the case.
The city of Lubumbashi is considered to be one of the strongholds of the exiled opposition leader, Moïse Katumbi, who supported the candidate Martin Fayulu during the presidential election of 30 December 2018, won by Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.