The move comes after the Congolese government decided not to accept travel documents from people living in M23-controlled territories. In response, M23 leaders declared that foreigners seeking to enter “liberated zones” must carry visas issued by M23 authorities.

“As long as the government refuses to recognize our documents, we will never recognize theirs,” one rebel leader told journalist Stanis Bujakera.

He added that visas and travel papers from Kinshasa are now considered invalid, though exceptions will apply for documents issued before February 2023.

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The decision reflects M23’s growing efforts to operate independently from the Congolese state. The group has opened banks, established its own army and police and continues to administer parallel institutions in territories under its control.

Observers note that Kinshasa has also reduced ties with rebel-held areas closing banks and refusing to pay teachers in M23 zones signaling that the government may have lost confidence in reclaiming those regions.

On September 30, 2025, Bintou Keita, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative , told the UN Security Council that more than 7,000 new fighters have undergone military training in M23 camps over the past seven months.

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She warned that in the last eight months, M23 has expanded its operations and consolidated its authority, disregarding demands from a February UN resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire, a withdrawal from Goma and Bukavu, and an end to parallel governance structures.

Analysts say the latest developments suggest M23 has no plans to relinquish control of its territories, raising the risk of intensified conflict. Kinshasa, which recently hired mercenaries to bolster its forces, has vowed to continue efforts to retake the regions.