⚡️The U.S. Department of State has issued a security alert for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Specifically, the alert advises “U.S. citizens to shelter-in-place and then safely depart [via N’Djili airport in the capital city Kinshasa] while commercial options are still available.” Additionally, the U.S. Embassy is now closed to the public due to ongoing protests and widespread looting.

Context:
Tensions in the country have risen significantly since the M23 rebels took the regional capital of Goma during an ongoing offensive in the east that has received both direct and indirect support from the neighboring country of Rwanda. Most notably, the embassies of Rwanda and Uganda have been overrun and looted,with widespread looting now occurring across the city.