DRC Launches Nationwide Security Plan Ahead of Festive Season

Kinshasa, DRC — The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a new operational plan to strengthen security across the country during the end-of-year festivities, as urban violence and organised crime surge in major cities.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Security, Decentralisation and Customary Affairs, Maître Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo Bihango, chaired a high-level security meeting on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, focused on assessing the national situation and evaluating “Operation Ndobo,” the ongoing anti-banditry campaign targeting armed gangs.

A Cross-Border Security Challenge

Authorities in Kinshasa say the latest spike in urban crime is partly linked to regional dynamics. Across the river in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), an ongoing crackdown dubbed “Operation Zéro Kuluna”, led by the Presidential Security Directorate and the elite Republican Guard, has driven dozens of criminal groups to flee across the border into the DRC capital.

Kinshasa’s law-enforcement agencies now face a renewed wave of “Black Baby” gangs known for violent robberies and street assaults, prompting the Interior Ministry to tighten coordination between police, intelligence, and city authorities.

At the meeting, senior security chiefs and the Governor of Kinshasa were instructed to finalise an operational plan to protect citizens and property through the holiday season.

The New Plan: Focus and Duration

The November 2025 – January 2026 national plan will reinforce police visibility, secure major roads and border points, and deploy rapid-response patrols in strategic urban areas.

“The objective is clear: deter crime, reassure the population, and ensure safe celebrations across all provinces,” said a senior official present at the meeting.

The plan builds on Operation Ndobo’s early results and seeks to integrate local task forces under unified command structures. Special attention will be given to urban transport corridors, markets, and nightlife zones, which often experience higher crime rates during festive periods.

Tackling Police Staffing Gaps

Participants also discussed chronic understaffing in the Congolese National Police (PNC) and the misuse of personnel assigned to VIP protection. The Deputy Prime Minister reminded commanders of the Institutional Protection and High Personalities Unit (UPI/HP) to ensure that police resources serve public security first.

“Every officer must be deployed where the population needs protection most — on the streets, not in private residences,” Minister Shabani stressed.

He urged a more rational allocation of human resources, prioritising operational units such as the Traffic Police and Rapid Intervention Police to improve visibility and responsiveness.

Modernising the National Police

The meeting also reviewed the Programming Law for the Congolese National Police, recently adopted and promulgated by President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. The law sets a multi-year roadmap to modernise infrastructure, strengthen logistics, and enhance both the working and living conditions of police officers.

Minister Shabani reiterated that modern policing and citizens’ safety go hand in hand:

“We are not just fighting crime; we are building a professional police force capable of earning public trust.”

Safeguarding Stability and Public Confidence

The Interior Ministry’s plan marks the most comprehensive anti-crime effort since the launch of Operation Ndobo earlier this year. With urban violence, cross-border crime, and economic pressures intensifying, the government is signalling zero tolerance for insecurity as the festive season approaches.

In the words of one security analyst in Kinshasa:

“The message from the Tshisekedi administration is unmistakable: the state is present, alert, and determined to protect its people.”