DRC: Election-related unrest reported in Lubumbashi April 10 /update 1

Event

Election-related clashes have been reported outside the provincial assembly building in Lubumbashi on Wednesday, April 10. Unconfirmed reports claim at least 11 people were wounded in the unrest as police reportedly fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the crowds. The unrest comes amid gubernatorial elections on Wednesday. Further unrest is likely in other localities nationwide. 

A heightened security presence and transportation disruptions are to be expected in Lubumbashi over the coming hours and days.

Context

DRC held gubernatorial elections on April 10. Supporters of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) have clashed in Lubumbashi in the days prior to the election. 

President Felix Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UPDS) party failed to receive a majority in local elections on March 15; former President Joseph Kabila's coalition Common Front for Congo (FCC) - to which the PPRD belongs - won roughly two-thirds representation in the country's senate. On election day, clashes were reported in Kinshasa and Kasai-Oriental province, with at least one person killed in the unrest.  

Advice

Individuals in the DRC are advised to monitor the situation, avoid all public demonstrations due to the risk of violence and arrest, refrain from discussing political topics in public, and adhere to all instructions issued by their home government and local authorities.