DRC: Political rally planned in Kinshasa February 15 /update 1

Event

The Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social (UDPS) party will hold a rally in Kinshasa on Friday, February 15, to celebrate its 37th anniversary and in support of President Félix Tshisekedi. The event, originally set to begin at Place Sainte Thérèse in the N'Djili area of the city, is now slated to take place at the UDPS party headquarters in the Limete area at 09:00 (local time); however, gatherings at the originally planned site cannot be ruled out despite the official location change. Heightened security measures and localized traffic disruptions are to be expected around the event.

Context

Félix Tshisekedi was inaugurated as president on January 24 after the DRC held long-awaited general elections on December 30, 2018, to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila. There were numerous allegations of electoral fraud and voter intimidation and several people were killed in election-related violence. Opposition candidate Tshisekedi was declared winner of the presidential elections with 38.57 percent of the vote, followed by runner-up Martin Fayulu with 34.83 percent.

Advice

Individuals in Kinshasa 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.