While operating out of northeastern DRC in March 1999, a rebel group specifically targeted and killed U.S. citizens and other English-speaking people in southwestern Uganda. Travelers run the risk of attack or detention. Travelers should avoid any area where demonstrations are occurring or where crowds have gathered. Ferry services between Kinshasa and Brazzaville are subject to interruption with little or no notice. There has been a dramatic deterioration of the country's physical infrastructure and basic security environment.
Urban crime remains a problem.
There is occasional official hostility to U.S. citizens and other expatriates, periodic shortages of basic items such as gasoline, a chronic shortage of medical supplies, high inflation, and in some areas, corruption and serious malnutrition. Visas should be obtained from an Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo prior to arrival. Individuals who experience difficulty entering DRC with a visa issued overseas are asked to contact the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa. Overseas, inquiries should be made at the nearest DRC Embassy or Consulate. The security situation in the Congo is unstable.