Indians Attacked, Businesses Looted in Congo After DRC Student Dies In Bengaluru

Earlier this month, police officials in India's Bengaluru city arrested an African student for being in the possession of drugs and staying in the country after his visa expired. Conflicting accounts of this incident have led to social unrest in India, as well as in the student's native land, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Indians are being attacked and their businesses looted in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after a man from the African nation died in the Indian city of Bengaluru on 2 August.

Joel Shindani Malu, a 27-year-old African student, had been in police custody since earlier this month for allegedly carrying drugs. 

After a retaliatory mob attack on Indian businesses in 9th Street, Kinshasa, during which Indians were pelted with stones and 40 bales of clothes stolen from Indian stores, three people so far have been taken into custody. The bales of clothes have also been returned to their owners, the India Times reported on Friday.

"Uncivilised people, mainly young people, have been looting stores and warehouses held by Indian nationals," the report quoted Kinshasa Police Commissioner Sylvano Kasongo as saying. 

Images emerging from Kinshasa show the continuing riots against Indians.

@PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @narendramodi Two more Congolese nationals died of their injuries caused by Police in Bangalore. We are being attacked and abused here in the DR of Congo and the Indian Govt is not doing anything. https://t.co/RPxjPAABJj pic.twitter.com/cv795SDszM

— Ashutosh Walia (@walia_ashutosh) August 11, 2021

​Chain of Events

Malu was arrested by officials of the JC Nagar police station in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka state, on 1 August.

According to the Bengaluru police, the African student complained of pains in his chest after which he was admitted to a hospital where he died on 3 August. 

The fact that Malu died while in police custody sparked protests against the Bengaluru police - during which African nationals living in the Karnataka capital, chanted slogans and fought with security personnel. 

Alleged lockup death @Bengaluru African Nationals protest @ JC Nagar police station. Tension grips @santwana99 @chetanabelagere @XpressBengaluru @mg_chetan pic.twitter.com/GK8PoHz8W4

— Manjunath Shettar (@ManjuS_TNIE) August 2, 2021

​#RDC: Imyigaragambyo imbere y’amaduka y’abahinde I Kinshasa muri irakomeje kuva umunyeshuri w’umunyekongo Joël Malu Shindani yagwa mu bitaro nyuma yo kumara igihe muri gereza, byatumye Kinshasa inahamagaza ambasaderi w’u Buhinde i #Kinshasa. pic.twitter.com/wXVFnKRxu3

— Flash Radio & TV (@flashfmrw) August 5, 2021