Drivers Forced to Turn to Black-market Fuel in Kinshasa
Last update: March 25, 2026
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Kinshasa residents described the struggle they faced to fill up their vehicles and motorcycles.
They said they were forced onto the black market as pump shortages worsened and the fallout from Trump's Iran war deepened Africa's fuel crisis.
Footage filmed on Tuesday March 24, 2026, showed long lines of motorists at gas stations, some said they waited for several hours to refuel.
"Yesterday, I spent all day at the station, from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m., getting fuel in a jerrycan," one local shared.
"State-owned stations like COBIL shouldn't run out of fuel, but that's not the case. We resort to informal fuel vendors who have doubled the price of a litre of gasoline," he continued.
A resident called for firm government action which stabilised the market, as some said they 'tipped or bribed' informal fuel sellers.
"If you don't bribe them, they won't serve you. We're suffering. At the informal dealership, they've raised the price to 5,000 francs ($2.16 - 1.86 euros) for a litre of gasoline," he said.
"Some stations that have fuel are charging extra on top of the usual price to be served. We wonder if there will be a price increase; they should tell us officially," a local added
