Congo opposition calls on government to end "war operations"

Anti-government protesters set up barricades on a road in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, April 4, 2016. REUTERS/Roch Bouka

BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - Seventeen people have died in clashes that erupted in the wake of President Denis Sassou Nguesso's disputed re-election, according to a government statement released on national television and radio on Tuesday.

Gunbattles broke out on Monday in southern Brazzaville, an opposition stronghold, shattering the relative calm since the March 20 election that opposition candidates say was fraudulent.