The crossing English Version - International Alert

The Crossing23and the rate of taxes to be paid. This difference can be explained by the fact that the trafficin goods tends more in the direction of the market in Goma.2. More significantly, a higher percentage of female Rwandan traders (62 percent) thanCongolese (22 percent) complain of harassment by the population (Maibobo and others)in Goma. That may be explained by the fact that female Rwandan traders often practicean itinerant trade, while female Congolese traders sell at the market where they are betterprotected.3. Reflecting this same difference, a higher percentage of female Congolese traders thanRwandan traders (23 percent compared with 7 percent) find that markets are too far away.Table 15: Main difficulties facing small-scale cross-border tradersWhat are the maindifficulties that youface in the practice ofyour trade?Congolesetraders (320)%CongolesetradersRwandantraders (685)%RwandantradersTotaltraders(1005)Low capital 237 74% 519 76% 756 75%Police/militaryharassmentMany taxes/high levelof taxationCompetition problemswith traders fromother countryMany state actorsgroups at GomaborderHarassment by thepopulation (Maiboboand others)Perishable or fragileproducts% totaltraders174 54% 527 77% 701 70%190 59% 443 65% 633 63%164 51% 462 67% 626 62%148 46% 406 59% 554 55%71 22% 422 62% 493 49%110 34% 165 24% 275 27%Remote markets 72 23% 45 7% 117 12%High exchange ratebetween US$ and CF34 11% 5 1% 39 4%Low sale prices 17 5% 9 1% 26 3%No debt payments byour customersHarassment by T2 andDMIAP officersHarassment byRwandan military(not allowing us tocross, confiscatingmerchandise)3 1% 15 2% 18 2%5 2% 13 2% 18 2%6 2% 11 2% 17 2%High transport costs 12 4% 3 0% 15 1%Other difficulties 24 8% 42 6% 66 7%No difficulties 6 2% 5 1% 11 1%Focus-group discussions in the two cities confirmed and clarified the above assertions, and traders’complaints are examined in further detail and according to nationality below. This report also takesinto account observations by the Congolese and Rwandan authorities in response to these claims.