DR Congo struggles to avoid election reigniting war

Electoral officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) backed by riot police faced down stone-throwing boycotters to allow voters a second chance, underlining the challenge to democracy in Africa: keeping ethnic, regional and political disputes from reigniting into war.

While polls were opened an extra day yesterday in central DRC, it appeared that few voters took advantage in what officials agreed was a massive boycott called by one candidate.