Witnesses in the western Democratic Republic of Congo say clashes between police and an anti-government group have killed at least 35 people.
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Officials in Bas-Congo province say shooting broke out late Wednesday when police in the provincial capital of Matadi tried to search the home of a spiritual leader, Ne Muanda Nsemi.
Nsemi is the head of a political and religious movement, Bundu dia Kongo, seeking to form an independent state.
The violence then spread during the last 24 hours to the western towns of Boma and Moanda.
Tensions have followed last week's elections for provincial governor. Opposition groups are questioning results that show an ally of President Joseph Kabila as the winner. Nsemi had been an opposition candidate in the election.
Congo is still recovering from a five-year civil war that drew in several neighboring countries and killed more than four million people, mostly through disease and starvation.
The country held mostly peaceful elections last year that returned President Kabila to power.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.