DRC now slaps new visa fees on Rwandans

Rwandan borrowers will benefit from low lending rates as the government reduces its borrowing from local banks. Photo/FILE 

By A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, The EastAfrican

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.