The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has updated its Democratic Republic of the Congo travel advice to add that protests are planned in Kinshasa on 15 September 2026, related to political developments in the country. The update was made on 26 August 2026 and sits on the advice page's safety and security section.
The wider posture is unchanged and remains serious. The FCDO advises against all travel to parts of the DRC, including conflict-affected areas in the east, and against all but essential travel to other parts. It points to terrorism, with Allied Democratic Forces attacks in North Kivu and Ituri, alongside criminal kidnapping, armed robbery and poor road security. Kinshasa has a recent history of large and violent demonstrations: in January 2025 protests outside several embassies in the capital turned violent in response to fighting in the east.
For operators, the near-term planning point is the 15 September date in Kinshasa. Protests in the capital can escalate quickly and cluster around government and embassy districts, so any task with Kinshasa exposure should build in route flexibility that week, avoid demonstration areas and diplomatic quarters, and confirm secure ground movement and communications. The east stays under advise against all travel and should be treated as a separate, higher-tier problem. Track the FCDO page for further changes as the date approaches.
