DR Congo declares Rwandans unwanted, except with expensive paid visas
Thursday, 26 June 2014 16:16 by Dan Ngabonziza
 
Gisenyi: It is exactly 5:30am (local time) on Wednesday, June 25,
2014, at Petite Barriere - a small border post between Rubavu district
of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s North Kivu capital
Goma.
The small border post is about 3km away from the main border linking
the two countries. At this small border post, business is beginning to
pick up.
Rwandans and Congolese have been going through this spot for as long
as it has existed. However, today for Rwandans, especially students
and small traders who cross the border daily to Congo, the day is a
miserable one.
"What is going on here?", wonders a female Rwandan student as a DRC
soldier pushes her back to the Rwandan side.
"Let me cross the border please. I have to sit for an exam in few
minutes," she tells the mean-looking soldier, as he adamantly looks on
unconcerned.
As minutes go by, hundreds of Rwandan students and traders arrive.
Many Rwandan students as well as those from DRC study in either
country schools.However, both Rwandan students and traders woke up to
this shocking experience.
The government in Kinshasa has a new cross-border policy targeting
only Rwandans. For DRC Citizens crossing over to Rwanda, the situation
is normal on the Rwanda side.
"This is confusing. We are being rounded up as if we don't have travel
documents," complained another Rwandan at the border, only identified
as Vestine.
The new visa charges will be in three categories; $30 per year will be
charged on Rwandan students crossing the border to study in DR Congo,
$50 on small traders every 3 months, while working class people will
have to pay $250 every Month.
According to Immigration officials on the Rwandan side, about 30,000
people cross the small border daily, while between 6000 to 7000 cross
via the main border.
Why visas now
It all started on April 21 when DRC government started overcharging
VISA fees on Rwandans traveling through Rusizi-Bukavu border post-
another border that connects the two Countries. Bukavu is the capital
of South Kivu province and is at the border like Goma.
The Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration engaged
Congolese counterparts about the issue. Other than a laissez-passer
document which costs Rwf10, 000, Rwandans had been required to have a
visa which goes for $55 (Rwf37, 400) for ordinary persons and $35
(Rwf23, 800) for students.
However, the situation was even tenser on Wednesday as Rwandans were
asked to pay bribes if they wanted to cross the border.
Officials at the Rwanda immigration department say they were taken by
surprise and the visas contravene agreements of Economic Community of
the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) grouping including Rwanda, DRC and
Burundi.
"It was a surprise to see that they have begun charging visa fees for
all Rwandans going to DRC," said Ange Sebutege from the Rwanda
immigration body.
"Normally those who are required to process a visa are those going to
reside or work in the Country as residents but visas do not apply to
visitors," he added.
Same border, different charges
The three countries also agreed to remove the requirement of passports
for people from communities living along the border areas. They use
border passes instead. Rwandan travelers are furious.
"They are asking us to give them bribes. They are charging us US $50,"
said Chantal Uwimana, a Rwandan trader.
"We cannot accept this...we can't afford such amount every day. They
are charging students US$5 to cross the border and do their exams. And
what is most confusing is that it's only happening here. The Grande
Barriere is operating as usual. It is a sign that DRC officials impose
policies depending on how they woke up feeling today,"
Hassan Bahame, the Mayor of Rubavu District which borders Goma, said
that he communicated with his counterpart in on the other side.
"He blamed the new changes of immigration officials in his country and
promised me that there will be a positive immediate solution soon,"
said Bahame.
Lucie Ndeta, North Kivu province immigration officer, defended the new
visa policy saying it was implemented within the legal boundaries.
"This is a policy set by DRC government in order to manage people
entering the country," he said.
"Besides, the visa charges have been put into different categories to
make them fair to different segments; businesspeople will not pay the
same as students. Those who are employed with permanent jobs will pay
more because they earn permanent incomes in DRC."
Regional body warns DRC
In a statement issued last month, the CEPGL Executive Secretary,
Herman Tuyaga, said that DRC did not inform the body before charging
visa fees on every Rwandan crossing into DRC.
"We regret that DRC government doesn't inform us (CEPGL) before
putting such policies in place. There are agreements that were signed
by every member Country in 2011, allowing free movement of Citizens
from all member countries. In July that year, this agreement was put
in place and signed by all Foreign Affairs Ministers of member
Countries. All visa fees were scrapped on all Citizens trying to enter
another Country."
Tuyaga added that the document signed indicates that only passports,
Laissez-Passer and identity cards should be used by Citizens.
"We wrote to Kinshasa Government informing them about this
issue...this new Policy is contrary to CEPGL's mission of regional
integration."
According to data from the Rwanda central bank, informal cross-border
trade between the two Countries accounts for 63 percent of total
transactions, and 80 percent of total exports.
The survey indicates that imports from the DRC amounts to Rwf3.3
billion annually, representing 27 percent of total informal imports
and other products from DRC including bananas for cooking, bananas for
beer, fermented cassava and dried beans, among others.
While informal exports to the DRC from Rwanda amounting to Rwf22
billion thus representing 80 percent of unrecorded exports of Rwanda.
Rwanda's main export products to DRC are live cattle valued at Rwf2.7
billion followed by live goats at Rwf2.6 billion, as well as maize
flour.
At both border posts, Citizens from both Countries make ends meet
through different cross-border trade. (End)
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--
SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
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