Occupying Goma and Bukavu and large parts of the provinces of North and South Kivu, the Rwandan-backed M23 is moving to a new level of autonomy. It will no longer accept any travel documents issued by the Kinshasa regime to enter the areas under its control.

In a note, Bertrand Bisimwa, the rebel movement’s deputy coordinator in charge of political, legal and diplomatic issues, explains this decision, which is due to be implemented by the end of 2025.

He justifies this decision, which is due to come into force on 1 November, “out of a concern for reciprocity”, pointing out that it was in February that the Kinshasa regime decided to exclude and no longer recognize administrative documents issued by M23.

As a result, he points out, “any foreign national wishing to enter the areas occupied by his movement must have a visa issued by the latter”.

“Visas issued by Kinshasa, as well as any other travel document intended for entry into the occupied zones, are now considered invalid”, he continued, adding that this measure would not apply to people who had obtained their visas before February 2025.

He also pointed out that UN personnel holding a service or official passport, as well as a duly recognized courtesy visa, continue to enjoy free and unconditional access to the occupied areas.

Many observers even see it as a means of legitimizing the balkanization of eastern DRC.

“The Washington and Doha agreements are opium administered to #Kinshasa to put it to sleep, while they speed up the establishment of a Rwandan protectorate through the terrorists of #AFC_M23,” says Fortifi Lushima, a pan-African activist and coordinator in the DRC of the organization “Urgence Panafricaine”.

“Today, they impose visas on all foreign nationals coming from the occupied territories. What will it be tomorrow? A referendum?” He adds.

Written by Akilimali Chomachoma