Democratic Republic of the Congo

This item appears on page 22 of the September 2008 issue.

The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa).

Fighting between armed rebels, Congolese military forces and UN peacekeeping troops continues in the provinces of North and South Kivu, eastern Orientale, northern Katanga and (sporadically in) Bas Congo. Travelers are warned particularly against going to eastern Congo, as fighting there is expected to continue.

Also, the U.S. Embassy has pro­hibited official travel by U.S. government employees and contractors on all DRC-owned and -operated commercial airlines due to safety concerns. International flights on foreign-owned and -operated carriers are not affected by this notice.

Also, outbreaks of deadly viruses and other diseases can occur and many times are not rapidly reported by local health authorities.