Indians attacked in Congo over killing of woman in Hyderabad

Kinshasa: Indian traders in Kinshasa stayed indoors and shuttered their shops on

Saturday after the murder of a Congolese woman in India prompted violent reprisals in

the city.

On Friday, residents in one of the Congolese capital’s poorest neighborhoods

responded to the news of the killing of one of their compatriots in the northern Indian city

of Hyderabad by attacking Indian-owned shops.

In reports widely circulated on social media in Congo, Indian newspapers on Wednesday

said an Indian man killed his wife, Cynthia Vechel, whom he accused of adultery, and cut

up her body in an effort to conceal the crime.

The next morning, at Ngaba roundabout, in one of Kinshasa’s poorest districts, residents

thew stones at several Indian-owned shops and tried to lynch some of their owners,

according to several witnesses.

“We want to avenge our sister,” said a street hawker who only gave his name as

Rodrigue.

As in many African countries, much of Congo’s retail sector, especially for clothes,

cosmetics and electrical goods, is dominated by traders of Indian origin.

On Saturday, all stalls run by Indians were closed for the second day in a row.

Anti-Indian sentiment also surfaced in May, following the murder of a young Congolese

teacher by three Indians in New Delhi.

This prompted Congolese authorities to urge citizens not to take the law into their own

hands by attacking Indians.

“There haven’t been any riots but tension is high,” said Blanchard Mwadi, a worker in an

Indian shop, adding the Indian community was mostly staying indoors.

Modi started a four-nation African tour yesterday in an effort in an effort to catch up with

China’s strong economic presence on the continent.

This week’s incidents took place against a backdrop of widespread economic frustration

and political uncertainty, as Kinshasa resident David explained.

“It’s all the government’s fault. This government doesn’t care about its people,” he said.

“If they want to stay in power, they need to think about the people, but they don’t: living

conditions are terrible, inflation is through the roof and spending is being cut. It’s serious,

he added.

President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, is widely believed to be

considering casting aside the constitution to take a third term in office after his tenure

expires at the end of the year.

“We are worried the country could flare up,” said trader Elie Nkunda. “People could say

‘let’s be done with it’ any time.”

-AFP