South Africa: DRC diaspora protest in Johannesburg Jan. 18

Event

Members of the Congolese diaspora in South Africa held a peaceful march on Thursday, January 18, in Johannesburg. The demonstration was organized by the Catholic Church. At least 1500 people gathered in the Yeoville district of the city to demand the departure of President Joseph Kabila. Further protests are possible in the coming weeks and months.

Context

The DRC is experiencing a political crisis that stems from President Kabila's refusal to step down after his term expired in December 2016. December 31 marked the one-year anniversary of the 2016 political agreement, under which elections were supposed to take place in 2017. However, in November the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that elections would not take place one until December 23, 2018. The opposition coalition has denounced the timeframe, demanding that a transitional administration be put in place immediately and presidential elections be held in January 2018.

Advice

All those present in South Africa are advised to avoid all protests (even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent with little warning) and to expect localized transportation disruptions in the vicinity of public gatherings.