Published: June 10, 2024
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Republic of the Congo Travel Advisory and Republic of the Congo Country Information Page.
Embassy & Consulate Contact Information
U.S. Embassy Brazzaville:
70-83 Section D, Boulevard Denis Sassou N'Guesso, Brazzaville.
Tel: +242(06)612-2000, +242(05)387-9700.
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
Brazzaville has an OSAC Country Chapter that meets quarterly.
Contact OSAC’s Africa team with any questions.
Republic of the Congo Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise increased caution in the Republic of the Congo due to crime.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Brazzaville as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Republic of the Congo, indicating that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organized crime present in the country, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.
Most crime affecting expatriates in the Republic of the Congo (RoC) is for economic gain. In recent years, there have been several incidents of petty/street crime and burglaries involving U.S. nationals and other expatriates. Petty crime often happens in public places and areas of congregation (e.g., marketplaces, sports venues, popular bars/restaurants frequented by local nationals). On rare occasions, armed assailants have confronted foreigners. Criminal elements do not typically single out U.S. nationals, but may view them as targets of opportunity based on perceived affluence or vulnerability.
The downtown (centre-ville) areas of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire are generally safe, housing high concentrations of government offices and security forces. Most expatriates live and work in these areas, with many major shops, restaurants, and hotels concentrated there. In recent years, expatriates have noticed many cases of aggressive panhandlers. This may pose an indirect danger by putting foreigners into vulnerable positions. Pay attention when entering and exiting vehicles and stores to avoid them. The Embassy continues to receive sporadic reports of burglars targeting expatriate homes. Homes without adequate security features, such as razor wire, are vulnerable to home invasion.
There is a spike in crime each year around the December holiday season.
There are no off-limits areas in Brazzaville. The Marché Total and Bacongo neighborhoods of southern Brazzaville and the Moungali area of northern Brazzaville are higher-crime areas. The Embassy has received reports of violent crimes perpetrated by gangs of young males. Local media and security forces use the catch-all term of bébés noirs to describe young criminals, who generally use knives to subdue victims. There are also reports of fights between gangs and confrontations with security forces in the northern neighborhoods of Brazzaville. RoC security forces have attempted to repress gang activity by rounding up suspected young men and adolescents.
Pointe-Noire has the same general concerns as Brazzaville. However, its beaches are areas for opportunistic crime, which is often associated with violence, particularly after dark. The U.S. Embassy has designated one portion of Pointe-Noire’s beaches as permissible for U.S. official personnel to visit, this area extends from the western limit of The Yes Club to the eastern limit of the VIP Escale Demex, and borders many hotels/restaurants, which provide increased security. All other public beaches are off limits to U.S. official personnel. The Embassy recommends that travelers avoid all beaches at night.
The U.S. Embassy discourages travel in the Western Pool region due to a history of armed conflict. The Embassy has received several reports of armed highway robbery after dark in this area. Avoid unnecessary travel in this part of the country.
Just as with major cities in the U.S., pretty crime often happens in large crowds. Safeguard your valuables as you would anywhere else in the world. As circumstances often change, the Regional Security Office may deem it necessary to make certain parts of the city off-limits to U.S. Embassy personnel. Always pay heed to Security Alerts that broadcast these warnings.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Republic of the Congo. Kidnapping does occur in the country.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Brazzaville as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Republic of the Congo. Review the latest State Department Country Report on Terrorism for Republic of the Congo.
No known indigenous terrorist organization operates in the country. However, RoC’s borders remain porous, creating the potential for spillover from neighboring countries that have multiple active terrorist groups operating within their territories (e.g., Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo). Land border controls are overwhelmed, and only present in specific locations. There are many locations to cross borders without passing through areas with government control.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Brazzaville as being a MEDIUM-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Starting in 2016, for almost two years, the RoC Government fought an insurgent group known as the Ninjas in the western Pool region. In 2017, the parties reached a ceasefire agreement, which remains in effect.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Republic of the Congo. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
The recent RoC political situation was marked by the presidential election held in March 2021 which saw the re-election of the incumbent president in the first round. On the eve of election day, an opposition candidate officially died of COVID 19. The political situation remains relatively stable, as no protests or disputes have been noted following this election. However, the opposition continues to demand the release of the opponents imprisoned following the presidential elections of 2016, who have been accused of attacking state security. Legislative elections were held in 2022, with President Nguesso’s party, the Congolese Labour Party, winning the majority of seats.
The next presidential elections will be held in 2026.
Protests & Demonstrations
Brazzaville continues to experience a small number of public protests. However, the government normally anticipates and forestalls any protests. Avoid any demonstrations or large groups of people.
In 2021, a number of protests and strikes – some significant in size – took place over social and economic issues, to include pension disagreements, unemployment concerns, and unpaid salaries. In May, retired civil servants demonstrated in front of the Prime Minister’s office over unpaid pensions. At the same time, the union members from the Brazzaville University Hospital Center began a strike due to 5 months of unpaid salaries.
Employees of SOPECO, the government owned postal service, conducted several demonstrations due to poor working conditions and 26 months of unpaid salaries. Pointe-Noire saw a similar demonstration by employees of the National Agency of the Civil Aviation of Congo following claims the agency failed to pay employees for eight months.
Unrest in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo can affect Brazzaville, as the two capital cities are located directly across the Congo River from one another.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
Most Congolese have a favorable view of U.S. nationals and of the United States. However, France is often accused by Congolese intellectuals of supporting the power in place.
Law Enforcement
The emergency line in the Republic of the Congo is 117. Local Emergency Fire number is 118.
Security forces in Republic of Congo consist of the National Gendarmerie and the National Police, controlled by the Ministry of Security and Public Order. Police are responsible for traffic accident investigations and have a riot-control element that responds to civil unrest. Police also have an investigatory role in the prosecution of crimes. The gendarmes serve in a crime prevention and close protection capacity, which also includes responding to civil unrest. Police teams responding to protest activity often uniformly dress in dark blue or black. Traffic police may dress in dark blue pants and light blue shirts. It is not unusual to see checkpoints staffed by police/gendarmes, particularly at night. Reported incidents of bribery/money solicitation have occurred at these checkpoints as well.
Police Response
RoC security services, including the Army, National Police (controlled by the Interior Ministry), and Gendarmerie (controlled by the Defense Ministry), are highly visible on a day-to-day basis. There are regular reports of law enforcement officers using excessive force. There are also occasional reports of solicitations of bribes and participation in criminal activity by security forces. Police resources are limited, and response to emergency calls is often slow or non-existent.
Police have stopped foreigners and accused them of minor infractions, which sometimes have not been justified. Police typically do not want to write a ticket, and often request the payment of a fine on the spot. The U.S. Embassy does not encourage payment of fines directly to requesting officers.
The detention of U.S. citizens is rare. In the few instances that have occurred, Congolese police have allowed arrested U.S. citizens to contact the Embassy. Arrested or detained U.S. citizens have the right to request that Congolese authorities alert the U.S. Embassy, and should use whatever means of communication available to notify the U.S. Embassy of their situation.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Republic of the Congo, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Republic of the Congo.
Following the 2021 presidential election, authorities arrested many civil society activists. Local and international organizations regularly accuse government officials, including the president, his family, and senior ministers of corruption. The accusations generally allege officials have diverted revenues from their official portfolios into private, overseas accounts before officially declaring the remaining revenues.
Cybersecurity
Common scams include romance/online dating, money transfers, lucrative sales, gold purchase, contracts with promises of large commissions, grandparent/relative targeting, free trip/luggage, lotteries, inheritance notices, work permits/job offers, and bank overpayments.
Import/Export Restrictions
RoC law prohibits the exports of artifacts and other items of historical significance.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
