DRC: Priest abducted by police in Kinshasa Feb. 3

Event

A Catholic priest was reportedly abducted by police shortly after the end of services at a church in Kinshasa on Saturday, February 3. According to local sources, the kidnappers physically assaulted the priest and threw him into an unmarked vehicle, taking him to an unknown location. Local police have not yet commented on the case.

Protests related to the abduction are possible in the coming days.

Context

Tensions are high between the country's Catholic community and the government. The DRC is experiencing a political crisis that stems from President Joseph 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 denounced the timeframe, insisting that Kabila leave office by the end of 2017 and demanded that a transitional administration be put in place immediately and presidential elections be held in January 2018.

Advice

Individuals present in the DRC 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.