DRC now slaps new visa fees on Rwandans
The East African - 4 hours ago
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.
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SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
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