The FCDO's current advice for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, last updated 26 August 2026, advises against all travel to a broad band of the east: the provinces of Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Maniema, Tanganyika and Haut-Lomami, along with the area within 50km of the Central African Republic border and Kwamouth territory in Mai-Ndombe. It advises against all but essential travel to specific parts of Kinshasa, the N'djili and Kimbanseke districts south of the airport road, the N1 road corridor from Menkao to Kenge, Bangoka International Airport in Kisangani, and Upemba National Park.
The near-term change is in the capital. The FCDO's latest update adds that protests are planned in Kinshasa on 15 September 2026, related to political developments in DRC. In a city where the advisory already flags a kidnap threat and names districts to avoid, a set protest date is a hard marker to plan movement around. Expect road closures, a heavier security presence and the risk of clashes, and hold non-essential moves through affected districts on the day.
The eastern picture is the more severe standing threat. The FCDO says ADF, a militant group with links to Daesh, carries out regular attacks in North Kivu and Ituri, hitting villages, military targets and softer sites including bars, places of worship, markets and vehicle convoys. It also reports that criminal activity in North and South Kivu has increased, particularly against the international community, with many reports of robberies and banditry in Goma after dark. For an operator the read is firm: the seven eastern provinces are no-go under the current advice, Goma movement is a night-risk and vehicle-convoy problem, and any task touching Kinshasa in mid-September should be planned against the 15th.
