Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Denounce Illegal Roadblocks on Goma-Masisi-Walikale Road

Goma, January 8, 2026 - Motorcycle taxi drivers using the Goma-Masisi-Walikale road are raising alarms over repeated looting and the proliferation of illegal roadblocks set up by armed groups along the route. The road passes through a buffer zone, with one portion controlled by the FARDC (Armed Forces of the DRC) and the Wazalendo militia, and another portion occupied by AFC-M23 rebels. Drivers report that these conditions have made travel dangerous and costly. Lucien Amani Bitaha, spokesperson for the motorcyclists, said that motorcyclists now have to budget at least 200,000 Congolese francs (around 90 US dollars) to transport a single package from Goma to Walikale. He also described repeated looting incidents along the stretch between Kashebere and Miba, controlled by M23 rebels, and in the buffer zone between Kibati and Mikumbi, while the Miba area is under government and Wazalendo control. “The road is completely dilapidated, with reeds growing in abundance, which only exacerbates the insecurity. Passengers, package owners, and motorcyclists alike continue to suffer these losses,” he added. A local traditional leader from the Ihana group confirmed that authorities have been informed through official reports, but there has been no visible intervention to date to improve security or remove the illegal roadblocks.

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Goma, January 8, 2026 - Motorcycle taxi drivers using the Goma-Masisi-Walikale road are raising alarms over repeated looting and the proliferation of illegal roadblocks set up by armed groups along the route. The road passes through a buffer zone, with one portion controlled by the FARDC (Armed Forces of the DRC) and the Wazalendo militia, and another portion occupied by AFC-M23 rebels. Drivers report that these conditions have made travel dangerous and costly. Lucien Amani Bitaha, spokesperson for the motorcyclists, said that motorcyclists now have to budget at least 200,000 Congolese francs (around 90 US dollars) to transport a single package from Goma to Walikale. He also described repeated looting incidents along the stretch between Kashebere and Miba, controlled by M23 rebels, and in the buffer zone between Kibati and Mikumbi, while the Miba area is under government and Wazalendo control. “The road is completely dilapidated, with reeds growing in abundance, which only exacerbates the insecurity. Passengers, package owners, and motorcyclists alike continue to suffer these losses,” he added. A local traditional leader from the Ihana group confirmed that authorities have been informed through official reports, but there has been no visible intervention to date to improve security or remove the illegal roadblocks.