DRC violence warning

The US Department of State warns of the risks of traveling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (aka DRC or Congo-Kinshasa). Travelers should avoid the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituriz and, in particular, the new provinces of Tanganyika and Haut-Lomami (the northeastern and central parts of the former province of Katanga), where instability and sporadic violence is known to occur.

Armed groups, bandits and elements of the Congolese armed forces are known to kill, rape and kidnap as well as carry out military or paramilitary operations in which travelers might be indiscriminately targeted. 

Travelers frequently have been detained and questioned by poorly trained security forces at official and unofficial roadblocks and border crossings throughout the country, especially near government buildings and installations in Kinshasa. Requests for bribes are extremely common, and security forces have occasionally injured or killed people who refused to pay.