KINSHASA (AFP) - Serge Maheshe, a Congolese journalist working for the UN-sponsored Radio Okapi, was shot dead late Wednesday in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Bukavu, the radio station said.
The station's editor in chief Yves Renard told AFP: "One of our journalists, Serge Maheshe, was killed this evening at 9 pm (1900 GMT) in Bukavu."
Maheshe, 31, was killed on the street while with two friends. They were about to get into a car marked United Nations in front of the home of someone they had just visited.
"According to eyewitness statements that we have, two men in plain clothes approached them and asked them if they could sit down. Tempers quickly frayed and very soon shots rang out. Serge was killed by several bullets. His two friends were not hurt," said Renard.
"Everybody is very shocked," he added. "We have absolutely no idea whether this has anything to do with the fact that Serge was a journalist."
