Three protesters were killed in the capital of the Central African Republic on Monday when UN peacekeepers opened fire on a crowd of several hundred heading towards the president's office, a hospital source said.

Three people died and seven were injured by gunfire in the crowd marching towards the presidency to demand the resignation of interim president Catherine Samba Panza following weekend violence in Bangui that claimed at least 20 lives, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.