North Kivu Fuel Tax Surge Highlights Governance Risks Under Siege

Kinshasa, August 5, 2026 - Member of Parliament Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, a former governor of North Kivu, warned that fuel taxation has risen sharply under the province's military administration.

He said the standard fuel levy at the Kasindi border crossing had increased from about USD 330 per 40-cubic-meter truck during his tenure to roughly USD 3,000 today. He argued that the rise reflected a multiplication of tax bases rather than better governance and was adding pressure on households and businesses.

Nzanzu said Kinshasa still controls Butembo, Beni city and territory, as well as parts of Lubero and Walikale, while Goma, Rutshuru, Masisi, Nyiragongo and parts of Walikale remain under AFC/M23 control, which he described as a Rwandan proxy. He added that ADF terrorism and rising urban crime persist in zones still administered by Kinshasa.

The former governor criticised military governors for operating without provincial assembly oversight, unlike civilian governors who face quarterly financial scrutiny. He said the state of siege had failed to restore state authority effectively, pointing to the spread of the conflict to Sake under military administration.