On 1 October 2026 the Chinese Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rated four provinces as extremely high risk: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Haut-Uélé. Chinese citizens must not travel to them, and anyone already there should leave or move somewhere safer as soon as possible [1].
What the alert says
- The four eastern provinces: do not go; leave or relocate if you are there [1].
- Nine other provinces, including Lualaba and Haut-Katanga: avoid non-essential travel [1]. This matters for people working in the copper and cobalt belt.
- Mining companies and individuals must register with the embassy. Those who refuse and stay in restricted areas bear the consequences themselves [1].
- Kinshasa: stay alert, keep in touch with family and colleagues, and do not become complacent [1].
- Companies in areas where security is getting worse should strengthen security and prepare contingency plans [1].
- Phone scams: be wary of calls claiming to be from the embassy or Chinese authorities [1].
Why now
The first reason is Ebola. A new outbreak in eastern DR Congo is still spreading. The embassy cited 8,116 confirmed cases and 3,924 deaths across seven provinces as of 28 September [1]. In mid-September the reported figures were just over 7,000 cases and close to 3,400 deaths [2], so about 1,000 cases were added in two weeks.
The second is armed conflict. Government forces and M23 are fighting in North and South Kivu. A drone strike in North Kivu killed eight civilians, and clashes in Ituri killed at least 16 people. Armed groups including M23, ADF and CODECO are active in several provinces, with robbery and kidnapping [1].
Ebola precautions from the embassy
- Stay away from outbreak areas, avoid crowded places and cut down on gatherings [1].
- Do not touch wild animals, and avoid contact with confirmed or suspected patients [1].
- See a doctor promptly if you feel unwell, and cooperate with local health authorities if there are cases nearby [1].
Case numbers change quickly. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control updates its outbreak page regularly [3].
Emergency numbers
| Who | Phone |
|---|---|
| Chinese Embassy in DR Congo, consular protection | +243-851474669 |
| China MFA Global Consular Protection hotline (24 hours) | +86-10-12308 or +86-10-65612308 |
| DR Congo police | +243-818906284, +243-816770006, +243-827205000 |
The numbers are taken from the embassy alert [1]. Save them in your phone before you need them.
References
- 中国公民尽快撤离或转移！我使馆重要提醒 (Chinese Embassy in DR Congo notice, via Sina News, 2 October 2026)
- DR Congo Ebola cases surpass 7,000, deaths near 3,400 (CGTN, 12 September 2026)
- Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, updated regularly)