IN SUMMARY
- DRC has slapped new visa charges on Rwandans entering the country through the western border town of Goma from June 24.
- Rwandans working in the DRC will part with $250, business people $50 and students $30.
- The new visa fees caught the residents of Rubavu, the busiest border point, offguard.
The recent fighting between Rwandan and the Democratic Republic of Congo has impacted the hitherto stabilising relations between the two neighbours, with DRC reintroducing visa fees on all Rwandans entering the country.
Days after border skirmishes that left five Congolese dead, DRC has slapped new visa charges on Rwandans entering the country through the western border town of Goma from June 24.
Hundreds of Rwandans working, studying or trading in the DRC were left stranded.
Rwandans working in the DRC will have to part with $250, business people will be getting a three-month visa for $50 whereas students will be required to pay $30 for a one-year visa.
The new visa fees caught the residents of Rubavu, the busiest border point, offguard. Congolese immigration officials at Petit Barrier and La Croniche borders have begun enforcing the visa order.
The mayor of Rubavu, Sheikh Hassan Bahame, told The EastAfrican that there was no prior communication from the Congolese government.
“Many people have been inconvenienced by this decision, which had not been communicated to us. There are a lot of businesses that will be affected. We have communicated to the Rwandan Immigration Directorate and it seems they were also not informed of the decision. We are looking at ways of discussing this issue with our Congolese counterparts,” Mr Bahame said.
He said DRC flouted the agreement signed between member states of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Region (CEPGL), where members — Rwanda, DR Congo and Burundi — agreed to scrap visa fees.
OPINION: DRC visa will hinder trade
The head of immigration at the DRC border point Lucie Ndeta told a local website Kigali Today that DRC cannot allow Rwandans to carry out economic activities on Congolese soil without paying visa fees.
“Like any other foreigners, Rwandans too have to pay to carry out business inside Congo,” the official said, refusing to speak about the CEPGL agreement. “It’s a directive from above.”
It is estimated that about 30,000 Rwandans cross to and from DRC daily, the majority being informal traders. The numbers however have declined over the past two weeks following renewed confrontations between Rwanda and DRC earlier this month.
The latest conflict between the two neighbours saw armies from either side square off along the border in the contested areas of Kanyesheza I and II. During the skirmish, five Congolese soldiers were left dead under mysterious circumstances.
According to sources, the Congolese are still angry about the incident, which is now under investigation by the Extended Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM).
The EJVM was set up by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) member states in September 2012 at the height of the M23 conflict in eastern Congo to monitor the borders of the two countries and investigate any territorial violations by the two sides
It has the mandate to rebuild confidence between DR Congo and Rwanda by observing and reporting on any activities, conflict or flow of arms and related material across borders of eastern DRC.
In its report on the findings from violent altercation on the border between the two neighbours, the experts find fault with both armies.
In the 14-page report, the EJVM says that there were violations of territory from both sides but notes that there was “provocation by Rwanda Defence Forces on the Congolese national army positions at Kanyesheja.”
The EJVM findings contradict the position, taken by the Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo last week, that Rwanda Defence Forces were provoked and responded by returning fire.
Rwanda has dismissed the report, saying: “The leaked document is factually and methodologically wrong on several counts,” pointing out that Google Earth cannot constitute a credible reference for border demarcations.
A source within the DRC who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the Congolese army and intelligence organs are angry that four of their colleagues were killed.
“The Congolese are now angry with every Rwandan, perhaps explaining the new visa fees,” a source said.
The political and military skirmishes directly affect locals whose lives largely depend on the cross-border trade.
In April, Rwandans entering DRC through the southern border town of Bukavu were slapped with visa charges ranging between $55 and $35 for students. The directive took effect on April 21.
READ: Visa fee renews Kigali, Kinshasa diplomatic row
The executive secretary of CEPGL Herman Tuyaga said that a meeting will be convened between the member countries to discuss the matter.
“What is happening is in contravention of the CEPGL agreement. No country is supposed to impose visa fees before discussing the issue with other member states,” he said.