Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have pledged that internet access will not be cut off at any point during Wednesday’s elections.
The announcement comes as social media users express fear of both blackouts and vote rigging.
“No, we will not be cutting off the internet because we are not in a situation of war or popular uprising,” Minister of Interior Peter Kazadi said during a press conference on Tuesday.
He further warned that any people planning to disrupt the electoral process would be arrested.
Meanwhile, aviation authorities announced the closure of land and sea borders for 24 hours in preparation for Wednesday’s general election.
According to the General Directorate of Migration, the borders will be closed from Wednesday morning until 11:59 pm local time the same day.
The airspace will also be closed to unauthorised local flights, but international flights will continue as normal, the directorate said in a statement.
More than 40 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots on Wednesday to elect a president from among 19 candidates, including incumbent Felix Tshisekedi.
Voters are also electing lawmakers and representatives in the municipal elections.