DRC: Student protests, possible strike announced in Kinshasa July 21 /update 3

Event

On Friday, July 21, police used teargas to break up groups of students at Kinshasa University who were protesting the earlier arrest of a classmate. According to a university official, student protestors ransacked an administrative building on campus. Further details were not immediately available. Although calm has returned to the area, further demonstrations are possible in the coming days.

Separately, civil service leaders in Kinshasa called for a strike on Friday during a union assembly meeting to demand increased wages taking into account rising inflation. According to a statement made by union leadership, the government previously agreed to raise wages but has so far not done so. It is not clear how many civil servants will participate or when the strike could begin. The prime minister said in a statement that he planned to raise salaries, but such an action first required approval by the full cabinet and the president.

Additionally, on July 17 opposition leader Moïse Katumbi, currently living in self-imposed exile abroad after being convicted and sentenced in the DRC in absentia, joined calls for anti-government protests to demand President Joseph Kabila be removed from office. The protests are set to begin on July 22 and continue for an unspecified period of time. This comes after the electoral commission announced on July 9 that a presidential vote would "probably not be possible" this year. As such, there is an increased risk of civic unrest and violent crackdowns by security forces in urban areas across the country, including the capital Kinshasa.

Context

President Kabila has been in power since 2001 and refused to step down after his term expired in December 2016. Under a deal struck between the government and the opposition, elections were supposed to take place before the end of 2017. The government has repeatedly blamed both budgetary constraints and continued violence for delays in scheduling the election. In addition, insecurity linked to the presence of armed groups and corresponding military operations against them persists in the eastern and central areas of the country. Kasai, Kasai Central, and Kasai Oriental provinces have been wracked by violence, with ongoing clashes between the Kaminwa Nsapu militia and government forces. The security situation in eastern DRC, including North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, is also volatile as a result of numerous rebel groups and armed criminal gangs operating in the region. As the political process in Kinshasa stalls, grievances over socioeconomic and political conditions could exacerbate intercommunal violence throughout the country.

Advice

Individuals present in the DRC are advised to monitor local developments, to maintain a high degree of situational awareness, and avoid all rallies and demonstrations due to the risk of violence.

More generally, a number of Western governments advise their citizens against travel to the east and northeast of the country for various security reasons.