Entry by car or boat after 6 p.m. is prohibited. Travel in the downtown parts of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi is generally safe. Civil disturbances may occur without warning in all urban areas and have the potential to turn violent. There are numerous, often poorly marked, military roadblocks, especially after dark. Vehicles are often searched for weapons, and travelers checked for identity papers.
Troops regularly seek bribes and transportation.
If confronted with such a situation, it is suggested that U.S. citizens not question the individual's authority, remain as courteous as possible and report the incident to the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa as soon as possible. One of the many extremist rebel factions in the Great Lakes region has committed, and continues to threaten, violence against American citizens and interests. This rebel faction was responsible for the March 1999 kidnapping and murder of several Western tourists, including Americans, in Uganda. Rebel factions are known to operate in northern and northeastern DRC and the surrounding areas, including sections of Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, low levels of economic prosperity continue to promote crime, vehicle thefts, burglaries, armed robbery and carjackings throughout the country.