The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa advises U.S. citizens that on Monday, October 20, 2014, from approximately 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a political demonstration in the form of a “sit in” is scheduled to be conducted on L’Avenue des Aviateurs. The United States Embassy, the Embassy of Portugal, and UN Headquarters were specifically mentioned as places of interest to stage this demonstration.
To date, there is no specific information to suggest a threat or danger to U.S. citizens; however, U.S. citizens in general should avoid crowds and demonstrations as they can become confrontational and quickly escalate into violence, even when not expected to do so.
You can stay in touch and get Embassy updates by checking the U.S. Embassy Kinshasa web site. You can also get global updates at the U.S. Department of State’s, Bureau of Consular Affairs website where you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warning, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well. If you don’t have internet access, you may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
If you are going to live in or travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we strongly recommend that you enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). By enrolling, U.S. citizens gain access to vital security information and enable the U.S. Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.
The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa is located at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, tel. +243-081-225-5872 (Do not dial the zero when calling from abroad). The Consular Section of the Embassy may be reached at tel. +243-081-884-6859 or +243-081-884-4609 and is open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call 081-556-0151 and ask to speak with the duty officer.
