The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa informs U.S. citizens living or traveling in the DRC that political opposition groups have called for “ville morte” (general strike) on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 in Kinshasa. There may be disruptions to transportation in Kinshasa and other major population centers. The U.S. Embassy will be open on Wednesday. The Consular Section will be able to provide only limited emergency services to U.S. citizens.
The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to exercise caution, limit movements, be prepared to remain in a safe location (e.g., at home) on the 19th, and have emergency supplies of food, water and medications in store. U.S. citizens may wish to let friends and family know that there might be communication disruptions in the coming days.
Avoid large gatherings, protests, and demonstrations. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Review the Travel Warning for the DRC and remain alert for potentially dangerous situations.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel websitefor the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, 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, at +243-081-225-5872 (Do not dial the zero when calling from abroad); the Consular Section at tel. +243-081-884-6859 or +243-081-884-4609 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays. 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).
