Car hire in Congo (Kinshasa) - Safety and Security

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Safety and Security

SAFETY AND SECURITY: U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Congo-Kinshasa are urged to exercise caution and maintain security awareness at all times. While the April 2003 signing of peace accords between rebel groups and Congolese authorities has resulted in the formation of a power-sharing government of transition and a reduction of conflict throughout most of the country, Congo- Kinshasa remains unstable. T he United Nations has authorized up to 10,800 military personnel to deploy in Congo. Security is improving in most areas where the U.N. Mission to the DRC (known by its French acronym, MONUC) has deployed. Elsewhere, it is tenuous. Rural areas, especially in the eastern provinces, are highly insecure. Ill-disciplined militiamen continue to operate in the eastern regions of the country and pockets of the north. Armed soldiers and police, while common in urban areas, including Kinshasa, are often poorly trained, irregularly paid and undisciplined. The security forces often act arbitrarily, and may themselves pose a threat to the population instead of protecting them. These forces are often the perpetrators of crimes, mainly armed robberies.

In the past, the previous government imposed curfews with minimal warning. While this practice has largely subsided, travelers should nevertheless check locally to confirm the current curfew status. Ferries to and from Brazzaville do not operate after 6:00 p.m. Travel in the downtown parts of Kinshasa, Kisangani, Lubumbashi and most other major cities is generally safe during daylight hours. The outlying areas are less secure due to the lack of adequate training/supervision of the security forces present and high levels of criminal activity. Travelers should avoid civil disturbances that may occur without warning in all areas, and have the potential to turn violent. There have been episodes of hostility towards U.S. citizens and other expatriates.

Both inside and outside Kinshasa, there can be military roadblocks, especially after dark. Vehicles are often searched for weapons, and travelers are checked for identity papers. Troops regularly seek bribes. If confronted with such a situation, it is suggested that U.S. citizens remain courteous and calm. If detained, report the incident to the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa as soon as possible.

Attacks against isolated villages continue sporadically in the Ituri region of Orientale Province, and in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema Provinces, where Rwandan and Burundian rebel groups that have yet to cede control to the authority of the new transitional government continue to mount periodic attacks. The Rwandan rebels include individuals who perpetrated the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Violence in these areas from armed Congolese militiamen is also not precluded. The large number of rebel and government soldiers to be decommissioned as a result of the peace process is another source of potential security concerns.