Via Congo Check: False, Rwanda has not "officially closed" its borders with Goma. The Google translation:
Contrary to what was announced in its Africa morning newspaper at 6:30, Radio France Internationale (RFI) on the official closure of the Rwandan border with DRC at the level of the city of Goma, the population movements of two countries are not not interrupted at these points of entry and exit.
"Rwanda is taking drastic measures of protection at its borders to prevent the spread of Ebola. After the discovery of two cases in the province of South Kivu, passengers coming from the territory of Mwenga (where the first confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease were detected in South Kivu) or those living in Bukavu but holding the cards of voters in Mwenga were not allowed to cross the border between Bukavu in the DRC and Cyangugu in Rwanda, while the border between Goma and Gisenyi remains officially closed, "RFI African-Matin.
Alerted by Internet users, the Congo Check editorial sent a reporter on the spot. The observations and visit of the Congo Check reporter this morning on the border between Rwanda and the DRC revealed that the movement of entrances and exits is continuing normally. People coming from Rwanda to the DRC cross without problems and vice versa, said the journalist who came down on the scene after the announcement of Radio France Internationale.
Nevertheless, Congo Check's reporter found a restriction of movement to people leaving the DRC for Rwanda.
"In recent days, the Rwandan authorities have limited flows at the border, for example, preventing people traveling to the DRC or Rwanda for family visits to cross the border. Only persons attesting to go to one of two countries for professional reasons, health, ... are allowed to cross. Are also excluded from entering Rwanda, the people in possession of the ID with an address of the areas where rises the disease with virus Ebola "found another Congo Check journalist who passes daily by the entry points between the Goma and Gisenyi.
This announcement listened to by thousands of local residents, who follow RFI in rebroadcast or on the FM band was commented on the canvas in tones of questioning and astonishment. Netizens were asking questions about the motivation of this unilateral border closure by Rwanda, a few days before the signing in Gisenyi in Rwanda, of an act of engagement between the two countries on the control of population movements at the borders, border health measures, to be conducted under the auspices of the World Health Organization without disrupting the economic balance between the two regions of these two neighboring countries.
Update: Fiston Mahamba, a reliable reporter on the scene, tweets:
Yes for #Mwenga it is true. This is the case for nationals of #Beni , #Butembo or even the inhabitants of other areas whose identity documents mention the addresses of these areas where there is #Ebola.
