It’s very important for every traveler to know the security measures and be safety conscious when planning to visit any country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been undergoing civil unrest for a period of years, it’s common for demonstrations to occur without notice in Congo and this can easily turn out to become very violent and this can affect any traveler whereby in some cases commercial flights are suspended, boarders can be blocked, restrictions on movement, closure of public service, internet and mobile networks can be put off and so much more.
The road conditions in Congo are not good at all, during the rain season most roads are impassable making it hard for even 4WD to traverse. If you decide to drive yourself alone, you should have an international driving permit to avoid getting in trouble with the authorities.
All travelers must have contact of their country’s embassy while in DRC just incase any emergency arises.
Rail travel is not common in Congo although there is one between Matadi and Kinshasha you cannot rely on it because it’s not always efficient.
Incase your in a situation of being caught in chaos, demonstrations or anything related to that, you should leave immediately and never attempt to cover a film or do any photography.
While driving in Congo, never go off the main routes or park your vehicle in unsupervised areas, keep windows and doors closed at all times because sometimes armed gang groups are out there looking for cars to hijack.
Incase of any roadblocks and your asked by security officers to produce your documentation, you must remain inside the car and pass over the documents through the window.
Arbitrary arrests of foreigners is common and the arresters usually demand payment for realize.
Avoid walking alone more so at night.
Avoid using public taxis especially at night, some robbers pose as taxi drivers or customers and drive off to city suburbs to use violence against you.
Street crime is common around hotels and supermarkets and the main target is always foreigners so be cautious while getting out of the hotels and malls
Avoid night travels at all times.
Always follow local media news to stay updated Incase of conflicts or protests.
Keep your travel documents up to date just incase you have to leave the country in an emergency situation.
Never expose your valuables if there is no need and always keep them at the hotel safe, have copies of your personal documents at all times and keep the originals in a safe place.
Criminal activities are common like rape, robbery.
