"Kinshasa is Totally Trippy"

NDI colleague and friend Honorine Muyoyeta visits a vote compilation center in Kinshasa

The DRC has the largest UN peacekeeping force in the world, with 17,000 troops. Unfortunately, in a country the size of Western Europe with only 300 miles of paved roads their presence is barely felt in the country. Where they are felt is in Kinshasa. I'll describe by way of anecdote:

Shortly after the elections Adrian and I were taking, Jakob, a friend and EU election observer, home for the evening. Since there are few street lights in Kinshasa driving at night makes avoiding potholes especially challenging. On that particular night we noticed headlights coming toward us on the opposite side of the road. The curious thing, however, was they were too far apart to be the headlights of a car or even of a large truck. At first, Adrian wondered if they were two motorcyles riding in perfect sync but as we approached and passed the strange headlights we realized the vehicle was none other than a UN tank. That was a first for me. Jakob couldn't have described the situation better when he said "Kinshasa is totally trippy".

Of course, living in a country where four UN armored personnel carriers (basically a tank on wheels) stand guard over your building every night to keep the heavily armed, drunk/high militia soldiers in line is not a pleasant experience. I don't mean to make light of it here. But it is a daily reality in Kinshasa and humor is the best way to deal with the stress and anxiety that come with living in such a place.

The important thing is to keep your wits about you and know your rights. No one here has a right to search your car, ask to see your passport or come into your home unless they are the police. And even then you should call your embassy before allowing anyone to search you. Of course this is easier said than done when the other person is holding an AK47 assault rifle. Nonetheless, the men with the guns here know harming anyone in the international community could create big problems for them and/or their leaders so if you are assertive with them they will back down. There are many things I am learning here which is why I wanted to come. But there are many things that I miss about home. Being able to walk down the street, not be driven down it, is one of them.