The leadership of the March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) has extended the operating hours of the Grande Barrière border post in North Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, to 2:00am.
The major one-stop border crossing connecting Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Rubavu in Rwanda, has been operating from 6:00AM to midnight since September 2025.However, on Saturday evening, Erasto Bahati Musanga, the M23/AFC-appointed North Kivu province governor, issued a directive extending the border’s operating hours to 2:00AM with immediate effect.
Bahati said the decision was intended to facilitate the movement of people and goods and improve the functioning of border services. He said the border would continue providing services to residents, economic operators, travellers, traders, customs brokers and other border users.
Bahati directed all authorised services operating at the Grande Barrière border post to take the necessary measures to ensure continuity and regularity of operations during the extended hours. He also urged border users to comply strictly with administrative, immigration, customs, health and security procedures in force. The governor further directed heads of all concerned services to ensure strict implementation of the measure and avoid any unjustified interruption of operations.
Patrick Busu Bwa Ngui Nshombo, the M23/AFC governor of South Kivu, also announced changes to the operating hours of the Ruzizi border post, which connects Bukavu in South Kivu with Rwanda.
Nshombo said the border would now operate from 6:00am to midnight, instead of the previous closing time of 6:00PM. The DR Congo government has not issued an official statement responding to the directives issued by the M23/AFC regarding the border operating hours.
The changes come amid continued diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23/AFC forces control several areas in North and South Kivu.
The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting M23, allegations that Kigali and the rebel movement have denied. M23/AFC says its armed struggle is aimed at addressing what it describes as corruption, discrimination and other grievances within the Congolese government. The conflict has continued to cause civilian displacement in parts of North and South Kivu despite ongoing efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
