DRC: Increased security measures in Kinshasa

Event

On Friday, June 2, the United States Embassy in Kinshasa reported that a number of new security checkpoints have been setup in the city. The US Embassy advises travelers to slow down when approaching checkpoints, comply with officers and soldiers as directed, remain calm and courteous, ask permission to pull the vehicle aside if soldiers insist on searching the car, and only leave the checkpoint once instructed to do so.

Context

Security measures have increased in Kinshasa since the leader of the Bundu Dia Kongo (BDK) mystic-religious cult, Né Muanda Nsemi, escaped from the Makala prison on May 17. The BDK is a banned religious-cultural-political movement, created in 1969 by Mwanda Nsémi, which fights for the protection and interests of the Kongo people. The group bases their claims on the centuries-old Kongo Kingdom that was abolished by the Portuguese in 1914.

In February, the BDK was accused of inciting violence and was targeted by security forces after Nsémi threatened the government in a video that has been circulated on social networks, in which he questioned the nationality of President Joseph Kabila and asked non-native people of Kongo-Central to leave the province.

Advice

Individuals present in Kinshasa are advised to monitor the situation and to obey all instructions issued by the local authorities.

More generally, individuals in the DRC are advised to exercise caution and maintain a low profile at all times. For various security reasons, a number of Western governments advise their citizens against travel to the east and northeast of the country.