Struggling with increased protests and violent attacks, the Kinshasa government has announced new security measures aimed at protecting foreign missions and Monusco.
This announcement was made on Monday following recent incidents that occurred in Kinshasa on Saturday February 10, 2024.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior and Security, Peter Kazadi Kankonde, chaired an emergency meeting with officials of the National Police Congolese and Security Services to discuss the measures to be taken.
Protests broke out, targeting diplomatic representations and some international organizations, with angry youths setting fire to vehicles belonging to some embassies and MONUSCO.
The Ivory Coast embassy expressed its indignation at the ransacking of one of its vehicles during these events.
Kinshasa government said it strongly condemns these acts of violence and announced that an investigation would be launched to shed light on these incidents.
Kazadi said that foreign diplomats and MONUSCO personnel, as well as their installations and vehicles, must under no circumstances be targeted.
For her part, Bintou Keita, head of MONUSCO, strongly condemned the attacks against mission personnel, stressing that several vehicles were set on fire.
She warned that such attacks could constitute a war crime and undermine crucial mission support to the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).
Faced with this escalation of violence, some embassies have taken security measures, canceling planned events and calling on their nationals to exercise caution.
The situation remains tense in Kinshasa as authorities attempt to calm tensions and guarantee the safety of foreign diplomats and international staff present in the Congolese capital.
