DRC: Political protests planned in Kinshasa February 25 /update 1

Event

Catholic organizations and the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) opposition party are planning to hold demonstrations in the capital city of Kinshasa on Sunday, February 25, to call for President Joseph Kabila to step down from office. According to local sources, Muslim organizations have planned to hold a simultaneous march in support of President Kabila.

Specific details regarding the march routes and times have not been released as of Thursday, February 22. Heightened security measures are to be expected in the vicinity of the protests, and clashes between supporters and opponents of President Kabila, and between demonstrators and security forces, cannot be ruled out.

Context

Tensions are high between the country's Catholic community and the government. The DRC is experiencing a political crisis that stems from President Kabila's refusal to step down after his term expired in December 2016. Catholic activists have planned multiple anti-Kabila demonstrations in recent months; clashes with security services led to the deaths of at least three protesters on January 21.

Under a deal struck between the government and the opposition, long-awaited presidential, legislative, regional, and local elections were supposed to take place before the end of 2017. However, in November 2017, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that elections would be set to take place one year after this deadline, on December 23, 2018. The opposition coalition continues to denounce the timeframe.

Advice

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