In Kinshasa, operation “punch” before the visit of Pope Francis

Pope Francis is expected for a four-day visit, starting Tuesday, January 31, in Kinshasa. This visit is the first by a Pope to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since that of John Paul II in August 1985. For the occasion, Boulevard Lumumba was cleaned up. The street shops were demolished, the markets razed and the parking lots destroyed on the avenue and in the adjoining streets. An operation called “Coup de punch”, which deprives many street vendors of work.