The authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels, who control large swathes of Congolese territory, are locked in a new standoff over the delivery of migration documents.
Visas and other travel documents issued by the authorities in Kinshasa are now invalid in areas under rebel occupation.
The political-military organization says it is applying the principle of a ‘tit-for-tat’ response following Kinshasa’s decision in February 2025 not to recognize administrative documents issued by the Directorate General of Migration, a state entity that M23 has taken over and begun to administer in areas under its control for areas under their administration.
‘Any foreign national wishing to access the liberated areas must be in possession of a visa issued by the competent authorities of the AFC/M23,’ notes a draft confirmed to the author by Oscar Balinda, deputy spokesperson for the rebel movement.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Despite ongoing peace initiatives to defuse the conflict in eastern Congo, this standoff between M23 rebels and Kinshasa proves that the warring parties do not want to lay down their arms, notes Dieumerci Safari, an opposition politician.
‘These acts are evidence of failed governance, with each party acting in its own interests without regard for the dramatic consequences for the civilian population’ he says.
In addition to the dire economic, humanitarian, and social costs that many Congolese are paying as a result of the current conflict, they risk paying double the cost of visas if a solution is not found, fears Muyisa Hangi, a human rights activist in the DRC with the Filimbi collective, a pressure group.
‘There is a fear that the rebels, who have become masters of the terrain, will assume the power to issue visas, which could lead to the dismemberment of this nation. I believe that this is also a result of the complicity of the Kinshasa government’ says Mr. Muyisa, who blames the DRC government for losing control in the east of the country.
Since the beginning of 2025, with the rapid conquests of the M23 rebels in the east of the country, Kinshasa has banned travel documents issued by the rebels.
It is now difficult for people to move freely between the regions administered by the rebels and those administered by the Kinshasa authorities.
Of all the countries east of the DRC, only Burundi, a key ally of Kinshasa in the war against the M23/AFC, refuses to accept any documents issued by the rebel administration.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Gentil Mulume, a resident of Goma, accuses the Kinshasa government of being the ‘gravedigger’ of its own people, when it is supposed to be defending them.
‘The Congolese government is responsible for everything we are going through. Unfortunately, we will be forced to pay double for travel documents,’ he notes.
The Congolese Minister of Information and Communication Patrick Muyaya says that the decision is a ‘waste of time’ without giving further details.
Since January 2025, M23 rebels, that according to the United Nations are supported by Rwanda, have seized Bukavu and Goma, two major cities in eastern DRC.
They now expanding administration in these areas and they continue to conquer new territories despite the Washington Peace Agreement between signed between Kinshasa and Kigali on 27 June 2025 and the Doha Declaration of Principles signed between the Congolese government and M23 on 19 July 2025.
Prosper Heri Ngorora is a Freelance Reporter based in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. He covers topics related to the UN sustainable development goals including health, climate change, peace and security, and international diplomacy. He has covered the UNLDC5 in Doha, Qatar in person in March 2025, and he is currently covering the 80th general assembly of the UN in fall 2025 in New York as part of Dag Hammarskjold Fellowship.
