News

When the talks aimed at securing the departure of President Kabila and the transition to a new government broke down on 28 March 2017, demonstrators took to the streets in Kinshasa.

The Police responded by using bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds.

To date, no disruptions have occurred in the DR Congo’s ports (e.g. Matadi, Boma, Banana) but a series of day-long general strikes have been announced in all the main Congolese towns as of Monday, 3 April 2017.

President Kabila’s final mandate expired on 20 December 2016 but no elections were held (allegedly for financial reasons) and it was agreed that President Kabila and the opposition parties should set up a transitional government pending elections which should be held before the end of 2017.  It is now proving difficult to agree on the composition of the transitional government, and in particular, the choice of prime minister.

Information provided by Budd’s offices in Kinshasa and Matadi, D.R. Congo