Democratic Republic of Congo Insurance

Appropriate DR Congo insurance should be central to any plans for visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). On-going conflict, political instability, high levels of violent crime and tropical disease mean that travel here should only be undertaken with specialist advice and close attention to security.

Potential dangers in DRC

Formerly known as Zaire, the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the world’s poorest countries, even though its mineral wealth is thought to be among the world's richest.

If you are planning on operating in DRC, perhaps in mining or humanitarian work, it’s essential that your people have robust insurance that includes Personal Accident insurance and Medical Emergency and Evacuation. The security situation in eastern DRC remains unstable. There are continued reports of attacks and kidnappings. NGO staff have been known to be targeted. Hospitals are scarce and medical care will not be of a standard you would normally accept. Ebola is still a potential concern, with 15 official outbreaks over the last decade. Numerous other tropical diseases are rife.

The security situation, particularly in eastern and northern border regions, remains unstable. The continued presence of armed groups, such as M23, intercommunal violence and an influx of refugees from neighbouring countries are all contributing to a deterioration in the political, security and humanitarian situation. There are reports of kidnappings, including of staff from international NGOs.

We recommend Kidnap and Ransom insurance, particularly if your people are working in remote regions. How the Professionals Handle Kidnaps is a first hand account of how professional support funded by kidnap and ransom insurance helped a company recover hostages in DRC; it will give you a good understanding of the possible risks you could face here.

Given the unstable political situation, protection for property, assets and specialist equipment is also advisable, including loss or damage from political violence and terrorism or Trade and Political Risk insurance to cover operational liabilities as appropriate.