The new North Kivu governor has extended the hours of operation at the Rwandan border

On Tuesday, February 11, a fresh extension of the border crossing time between Goma city and Rubavu District in Rwanda was announced by the newly appointed governor of North Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The crossing period was formerly closed at 3:00 PM by Congolese authorities during the COVID-19 epidemic, but it has since been extended until 10:00 PM by Erasto Musanga Bahati, who was just appointed by the AFC/M23 rebels when they conquered Goma.

Since the M23 seized Goma in late January, the number of crossings has increased to around 30,000 each day, according to Rwandan officials, up from 15,000 before to the rebels’ takeover of the city.

“The Governor of North Kivu Province informs the population of North Kivu in general and the city of Goma in particular, that the Grande Barrière Border post (La Corniche) is operational from 6:00am to 10:00pm, effective today,” Bahati said in a statement on Tuesday.

He also instructed customs officers to implement the ruling by making the required modifications.

Days after Goma’s takeover, the rebels in charge of the province capital had continued to open the border until 6 p.m.

One of the busiest border crossings in the world is that between the Rubavu and Goma. Authorities estimate that around 50,000 crossings occurred every day before to the Covid epidemic.

However, the Congolese president, Felix Tshisekedi, had declared a state of emergency in the eastern regions, which meant that few people could cross, and epidemic precautions had prevented travel.