Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed that internet access will remain uninterrupted during election day, dispelling social media concerns about potential outages amid fears of electoral rigging.
Minister of Interior Peter Kazadi addressed these concerns during a press conference on Tuesday, stating, “No, we will not be cutting off the internet because we are not in a situation of war or popular uprising.” He cautioned that any attempts to disrupt the electoral process would result in arrests.
In preparation for Wednesday’s general election, aviation authorities have declared a 24-hour closure of land and sea borders. The General Directorate of Migration announced that borders would be closed from Wednesday morning until 11:59 p.m. local time on the same day. While airspace will be closed for unauthorised local flights, international flights will operate as usual, according to the directorate’s statement.
Over 40 million eligible voters are set to cast their ballots on Wednesday to choose a president from a pool of 19 candidates, including the incumbent, Felix Tshisekedi. In addition to the presidential election, voters will participate in the selection of lawmakers and municipal representatives.