Opposition calls for mass protests against Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila fell flat on Monday when only a handful of people showed up, undermining efforts to oust him after his refusal to quit on expiry of his mandate last year.

The sparse turnout in the capital Kinshasa and other major cities pointed to the opposition's waning credibility and persistent difficulties convincing Congolese to risk frequently deadly crackdowns by security services.

The normally hectic streets of Kinshasa, a city of more than 10 million people, were nearly deserted on Monday as the police patrolled heavily and fearful residents stayed home.

The demonstration's prospects dimmed on Sunday when the main opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi, flew to Ethiopia at the invitation of the African Union, just hours after holding a news conference to urge Congolese to take to the streets.

Deadly protests in September and December as well as worsening militia violence across the vast, flimsily governed country in recent months have raised fears of a backslide toward the civil wars of the turn of the century that killed millions.

But Kabila has successfully co-opted many opponents by negotiating the formation of a power-sharing government meant to organize a presidential election to replace him by year-end.