Location: Kinshasa
Event: Please be aware that national elections are scheduled for Sunday, December 23, 2018. Until now, political rallies and crowds have remained mostly peaceful and relatively small, however, the potential for unrest is heightened for the coming weeks. Unrest could occur on short notice.
Actions to Take:
Avoid large crowds and demonstrations on the day of the election and the preceding days. There is an increased potential for crowds in the area of the Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) located near Gare Central in downtown Kinshasa, near the U.S. Embassy location.
- Keep a low profile and notify friends and family of your safety.
- Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
- Monitor local media for updates.
- Review the country page and remain alert for potentially dangerous situations.
Assistance:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution and Country Specific Information for the DRC.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, located at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, the Consular Section at tel. +243-097-261-6144 or +243-097-261-6145 (Do not dial the zero when calling from abroad) from Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is 081-556-0151.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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