Africa-Press – Rwanda. The new governor of North Kivu Province in eastern DR Congo announced on Tuesday, February 11 a new extension of border crossing time between Goma city and Rubavu District in Rwanda.
The new decision by Erasto Musanga Bahati, who was recently appointed by the AFC/M23 rebels after they captured Goma, extends the crossing time to 10:00 PM, from the previous 3:00pm closure imposed by Congolese authorities after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of crossings has surged since the M23 took control of Goma in late January, with Rwandan authorities counting about 30,000 crossings daily, up from 15,000 before the city’s fall into the hands of the rebels.
“The Governor of North Kivu Province informs the population of North Kivu in general and the city of Goma in particular, that the Grande Barriè€re Border post (La Corniche) is operational from 6:00am to 10:00pm, effective today,” Bahati said in statement on Tuesday.
He also directed customs officials to make the necessary adjustments to implement the decision.
The rebels who control the provincial capital had extended the border opening hours to 6pm days after the capture of Goma.
The Rubavu-Goma border is one of the busiest crossings in the world. Before the Covid pandemic, officials estimate more than 50,000 daily crossings.
However, movement had been discouraged by pandemic measures and a state of emergency imposed by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in eastern provinces, which meant that few people could cross.
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