Congo lashes out at Rwanda and foreign tourists
eTurboNews - 6 minutes ago
BY PROF. DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, ETN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT | JUN 28, 2014
Steep and sudden increase in Congo visa fees for Rwanda visitors and
other tourists makes this African country an even more remote tourism
destination.
Following recent unsuccessful attempts to enter Rwandan territory by
Congolese troops, which met with a resolute response by the Rwandan
army and once more exposed Congo as a hostile aggressor, has the
regime in Kinshasa now resorted to other measures to hit at the Land
of a Thousand Hills.
It was learned yesterday that Congolese immigration at the main border
crossing from Gisenyi to Goma imposed hefty fees on Rwandan traders
and visitors, with the cost ranging from 30 US Dollars for students to
250 US Dollars for traders. Similar measures were already taken at the
border post between Kamembe and Bukavu, seriously impacting on cross
border trade.
Local contacts in Gisenyi immediately laid the blame squarely on the
regime across the border, claiming it was a reaction to their failure
to intrude into Rwandan territory and now using Visa fees to hit out
at Rwandans, some 30.000 a day usually crossed from Gisenyi into Goma.
Wrote one regular contributor from there in response to a request for
a comment: 'There is a mechanism under the Great Lakes region economic
cooperation, whereby the imposition of Visa fees should be handled
through a bilateral meeting. This has not taken place, this was a
unilateral move by Congo. They should remember that their imports and
exports to and from Eastern Congo depend on open borders and the free
flow of trade.
Their main entry points are in Goma and then in Uganda from either
Ishasha, Mpondwe or via Arua. Imagine every one of their truck drivers
has to pay 250 US Dollars when entering Rwanda enroute to Mombasa?
That could derail their entire supply chain but then, it seems the
regime does not think with their brains'.
Notably has in particular RwandAir benefited in the past from a sharp
increase in passengers coming from Eastern Congo and flying from
Kamembe via Kigali to other Eastern or Southern African destinations,
and as far as Dubai.
It is this rise in traffic which is a major reason for the number of
frequencies between Kigali and RwandAir's only remaining domestic
destination after flights to Gisenyi had to be suspended following
security incidents from across the border in Congo. Perhaps it was in
consideration of such circumstances that the Rwandan authorities were
slow in reciprocating with a similar rise in fees at the Bukavu border
crossing but this latest affront may well now trigger a wider
response, based on the principle of reciprocity.
Foreign visitors are already paying high Visa fees when entering Congo
from Rwanda and Uganda, something which has affected in particular
tourist visits from the two neighbouring countries to the Virunga
National Park and to the Nyiragongo volcano.
Besides the general security situation in Eastern Congo not being
conducive to regular tourist visits. Militias roam the region almost
at will, tolerated by the regime in Kinshasa and unchecked by the UN
forces which have more often than not been accused of covert
complicity in letting in particular the genocidaires continue their
campaign.
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SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
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