News

Following the
Democratic Republic of Congo’s 30 December 2018 presidential election, Budd’s
Kinshasa and Matadi offices have confirmed to us over the telephone that internet
connections are either extremely slow or completely down in most of the
country.

International
media report that the internet clampdown is thought to be a government move to
prevent the spread of rumors about the election results and reduce the risk of organized
protest movements.

We understand that
the internet restriction affects most of the DR Congo’s main towns, including opposition
strongholds in the eastern cities of Goma and Lubumbashi.  Mobile networks also appear to have been
affected with texting difficulties being experienced.

The country’s past
President, Mr Joseph Kabila, has been in office for 17 years and had extended
his final term of office by two years.  These
long-overdue elections have already sparked civil unrest and controversy to which
the electoral commission responded by banning some areas from voting.  The ongoing Ebola outbreak being one of the reasons given.

The election
results are due to be announced on 6 January and it is hoped that internet
connections will revert to their former state shortly afterwards.

In the meantime,
if you require any urgent assistance in the DR Congo, please do not hesitate to
contact Budd’s offices in Marseille (+33 491 33 85 33) or Paris (+33 142
56 36 12), and continue copying all emails to general.marseille@budd-pni.com.

Thank you.

Sarah Penwarden

Budd Marseille-Fos

sarah.penwarden@budd-pni.com