Beginning on Monday, the streets of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will undergo renovations in preparation for Pope Francis’ visit at the end of the month.
The main city center will be cleaned up, according to Kinshasa Governor Gentiny Ngobila, and street vendors and abandoned vehicles will be removed from roads leading to the airport.
More than 120 people died as a result of the city’s worst floods in years last month.
This is the first time that the city of at least 14 million residents will be hosting Pope Francis.
A previous pope, the late John Paul II, visited the country twice, in 1980 and 1985, during the rule of former strongman Mobutu Sese Seko.
Catholics make up the majority of the country’s population.