Across DRC: Tell me its possible

[alongridehome]

Has anyone travelled across the northern part of DRC in recent months? More specifically the road from Zongo on the CAR border south to Gemena, Akula, Lisala, Bumba, then east to Buta, Kisangani and onto either Bunia or Butembo on the Rwanda border? I am planning to cross DRC by bicycle in the coming months and my major concern is the security east of Kisangani. Are north and south Kivu possible to travel through independently at the moment? How is the condition of the roads? Are visas for Uganda and Rwanda issued at the border? Any information/contacts any one has for this stretch would be much appreciated. Thanks Peter

The Big Africa Cycle - from the UK to Cape Town

[Desert Ways]

Check out Take on Africa

Helen is currently in DRC and has been for a while. She will be able to give good current info.

[alongridehome]

She's now in Zambia and her DRC route wasn't within 1000km of mine. She took the road to Lubumbashi.

[zeroland]

In 2008 a Swiss chap in his Land Cruiser did a similar route. Unfortunately his website is closed down however there is still a contact page available.

Try: David-Rouge homepage

Original link: The Africa Overland Network - Independent Overland Travel across Africa, Asia, the Americas and the World.

You can always be the first in 20 years to take a bicycle across that route!
Be sure to keep us informed.

[Ituri]

I spent a lot of time in the DRC when it was Zaire (I lived with the Efe- Pygmies) and wouldn't dream of crossing it on a bicycle. Life is cheap there- very cheap. I heard recently there is a huge military presence in Kisangani (so no fighting- but that gives rise to other problems since the military can extort money from tourists and jail them without cause) and many forced mining camps east of there. Anything near Rwanda is risky. The police are corrupt to put it mildly and don't value your life. Very dangerous. Road, weather conditions are extreme and should you get ill, (easy to do) you would never be able to peddle your way out. Sadly the time to have done such an adventure was about 20 years ago. In all my Africa travels, I loved that region the most. If you decide to go, you will no doubt have a few brushes with death that will make for great stories once you are home safe. Making it home safe won't mean the DRC is safe for travelers - it will just mean you got lucky and were able to ride between the raindrops and not get wet. Good luck and keep us posted!

[Chris Scott]

Although it wasn't DRC, a guy in a truck did a similar transit a month or 2 ago via CAR.
You can read his report here. I presume he stuck to CAR because he thought it would be safer than northeast DRC, but as you can see it was quite costly in terms of nerves and $$$.

While it is a great way to travel, my impression from talking to and hearing of other cycling overlanders is that they are more prone to attacks because of their obvious vulnerability - even in African places much safer than NE DRC. The alternative there is to pay for protection/transportation, but that's not really cycling (though it might become a good yarn).

There is also news here that Chad-Darfur is opening up for the first time in many years (if you are looking for a west-east transit hereabouts). But then you need to watch how the Sudan referendum pans out.

Unless you've been out there before, I would not make it too hard for yourself by going via northern DRC.

Chris S

[alongridehome]

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[alongridehome]

Originally Posted by Ituri

I spent a lot of time in the DRC when it was Zaire (I lived with the Efe- Pygmies) and wouldn't dream of crossing it on a bicycle. Life is cheap there- very cheap. I heard recently there is a huge military presence in Kisangani (so no fighting- but that gives rise to other problems since the military can extort money from tourists and jail them without cause) and many forced mining camps east of there. Anything near Rwanda is risky. The police are corrupt to put it mildly and don't value your life. Very dangerous. Road, weather conditions are extreme and should you get ill, (easy to do) you would never be able to peddle your way out. Sadly the time to have done such an adventure was about 20 years ago. In all my Africa travels, I loved that region the most. If you decide to go, you will no doubt have a few brushes with death that will make for great stories once you are home safe. Making it home safe won't mean the DRC is safe for travelers - it will just mean you got lucky and were able to ride between the raindrops and not get wet. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks for the advice - sounds as positive as I imagined.
Ituri, you said you lived with the Efe Pygmies? When was this and where was your nearest town? You say you wouldn't dream of doing it on a bicycle. Is this because of road condition or the inability to escape a bad situation quickly? Life is cheap in DRC I know. It is cheap throughout much of the continent. My health is very important and I wouldn't attempt it unless I was feeling 100% strong. I'm hoping there will be two of us.

Chris. Have you spoken to anyone whose cycled these roads? There is certainly an added vulnerability being on a bicycle, in terms of moving away from a bad situation quickly, but equally cyclists usually cause less of a stir in terms of $ signs than a big bike or 4x4. Nothing is definite at the moment. Thanks for your input.

[markharf]

I don't want to dis your experience thus far, and I don't want to present myself as any sort of Central Africa expert.....but the areas in which you've been traveling are easy, predictable and safe compared to the route you're proposing. Don't get lulled into thinking you know it all. Listen, for example, to Ituri, who gives every indication she's been there, gets it, and knows how to keep it in perspective (a good, and not altogether common, combination).

Were I you--which I'm not--I'd be looking for a way to get a taste without overcommitting; commitment can follow, or not. Speculating about what it might feel like or where the dangers like is rather different from being there. On the other hand, most of us survive whatever foolishness we undertake, most of the time; the key is not to deduce from our survival that what we did was safe, wise or repeatable.

Hope the above is taken in the spirit in which it is intended, which is of enthusiasm for adventures, including yours, yet cautionary about a tone which I read in your posts and blog....perhaps incorrectly.

Safe journeys!

Mark

[alongridehome]

Hi Mark. Neither do I want to present myself as some kind of Africa expert. I'm far from it. The countries preceding Cameroon (where I am now) may well prove to be easy compared to CAR and DRC - predictable and safe - not so much. I'm under no illusion that this is a risky route across Central Africa - there are no 'safe' routes, but I want to reach east Africa overland, rather than flying. The 'real' risky areas appear to be east of Kisangani - north and south Kivu (at least in terms of what gets reported). I'm trying to find a contact within Kisangani who knows the situation in towns/villages and the bush within the last few months. The situation changes here very quickly. Thanks for your input,

Peter

[Chris Scott]

Hi Peter, I just realised it's you. I didn't even recognise you from your tone and think you may be going a bit troppo mate in an attempt to rake up hits for the Cause. Has Lubumbashi woman forced you to up your game? (I have not read her account but know of that route).

Perhaps the obvious needs to be spelled out here. No one has travelled across north-eastern DRC for many, many years because of the appalling and random violence that continues there. Most of us here are not looking for that sort of adventure. Of course not every single place in a given region is deadly every day, but to find reliable information before getting there is very difficult because the violence is unpredictable. And then you must add the element of being a conspicuous and vulnerable toubab who will be carrying more money than most see in months. Not much to be lost bashing you in the head with the butt of an AK to find out.

I don't follow the news from DRC every day, I've never been there and I can barely ride a pushbike, but it's part of my job to keep tabs on trans-Africa routes, as many others here do. From what we know NE DRC seems pretty far gone and for that reason I suspect this forum is the wrong place to ask for northern DRC travel advice. You need to make contact with the NGOs and other agencies who work in the area. They will tell it like it is which may include the news 'come on in, the water's lovely!'

I identified the possibility of a newly opened alternative route to get to the east side (I have not done that either, before you ask). One day someone will cross north DRC without any ensuing 'what if...' nightmares and a classic old trans-Africa route will re-open. Let us know how you get on.

Chris S

[alongridehome]

[quote=Chris Scott;318057]Hi Peter, I just realised it's you. I didn't even recognise you from your tone and think you may be going a bit troppo mate in an attempt to rake up hits for the Cause. Has Lubumbashi woman forced you to up your game? (I have not read her account but know of that route).

No, I apologise for the tone, which comes across as a bit troopo/smart-arse. Crossing DRC was always in the original plan, and appears on my route page. Despite few people having done it my desire is not an attempt to rake up hits for the site/cause. Helen (Lubumbashi woman) had wanted to take a boat from Kinshasa up to Kisangani, but none were going at the time, so changed her route and went south.

I will clearly have to find contacts on the ground within those towns and regions that I mention. Should everyone confirm it to be a suicide mission I will take the safer option and head back down river.

For the moment nothing is confirmed. I will apply for visas in Yaounde and await more advice.


Should I undertake it and get through I will give an honest assessment and write up as to the safety/danger of this overland route.

Thanks Peter

[takeonafrica]

Hi Peter,
If you do go that route, listen to the radio and ask for local advice. Twice I changed my route plans - once because all the locals were strongly advising against it and once because a village en route was taken by the mai mai, which I only found out about because it was reported on the local radio (no international news coverage). And this wasn't even in the much-talked-about Ituri or Kivu provinces where safety is more of a problem.

As said before, NGOs are good for on the ground current info - I have contact details for the Christian Aid office in Kinshasa and although I didn't contact them I understand they are very approachable (I've emailed it you).

[trans-african]

Originally Posted by alongridehome

Has anyone travelled across the northern part of DRC in recent months? More specifically the road from Zongo on the CAR border south to Gemena, Akula, Lisala, Bumba, then east to Buta, Kisangani and onto either Bunia or Butembo on the Rwanda border? I am planning to cross DRC by bicycle in the coming months and my major concern is the security east of Kisangani. Are north and south Kivu possible to travel through independently at the moment? How is the condition of the roads? Are visas for Uganda and Rwanda issued at the border? Any information/contacts any one has for this stretch would be much appreciated. Thanks Peter

The Big Africa Cycle - from the UK to Cape Town

Hi, I am the guy who recently crossed CAR in my camper, as Chris pointed out. I mainly chose the CAR route to get from West to East Africa because I have already travelled a lot in DR Congo and wanted a different route to take. However, the security in the North and East of DR Congo was also a big factor. It would certainly not be do-able in my large camper as it would attract far too much attention, whereas a bicycle wouldn't - it's how the locals get about in those regions, usually carrying 20l containers of oil for 100s of km to sell for a few dollars. It would still be a journey to be cautious on, if you were to do it on a bicycle.

Regarding roads, in these areas, you may as well forget about them. They will be in a hideous condition, often almost completely washed away, and what is left will be very rutted, often a few metres deep, with huge potholes etc. It will become an endurance of how far you can push the bike, not ride it. For me, when I was in the area, it was more a case of where can I get my car (I was in a 4x4 at the time) onto another barge to get to the next place? You can get a barge from CAR or Zongo down towards Kinshasa, maybe you can get off at Bolobo? and get another one towards Kisingani. It will not be cheap though and anything but regularly scheduled.

I would think that the trans-CAR route would be physically do-able on the bicycle, but I would certainly not do it and expect to have it at the end of the route. I am quite certain that it would be stolen, and all of your possesions would be too, not being locked away etc. IF you were to put human factor aside, it is a great route to take, and Southern Sudan is also a very nice place to pass through, although the roads are not that great.

Regarding the Chad-Sudan, Darfur West/East crossing, I know of a German couple who did this in the early 2000s in their MAN camper without any major problems. The Darfur region has settled down a bit now, but speaking to people recently in South Sudan, locals and NGOs, it may not be like that for too long. With South Sudan voting in a referendum for its possible independence next week, if they win it, it is likely the people in Darfur will want to too. Aparently this could destabalise the region, as the Khartoum government are not likely to favour the idea of giving independence to the people they have persecuted for a long time etc. So watch that space, the window will possibly close sooner than would be convenient for us non native African travellers.

Hope I have not rambled on for too long and that I have made a few things clear regarding the central african crossing routes. Just incase my prose it unclear, I will summarise the options:

1. Chad-Sudan (Darfur):
+Open at the moment, as stable as it is going to get.
+Could become less secure soon due to independence struggle
+I know that getting a Sudan visa for arrival by land, in NDjamena can
be difficult.

2. CAR-Sudan-Uganda:
+Probably the best bet at the moment, despite difficulties.
+A lot of corruption in CAR, be very cautious - you will probably
be ripped off a lot.
+Roads are poor, but better than a lot in other parts of Africa.

3. CAR-North/East DR Congo:
+Very poor/unpassable roads to navigate, masive ruts and potholes.
+Will probably have to use ferry barges to complete a route going from
Zongo to Kisingani, via Kinshasa probably.
+ Very expensive option.

4. Crossing DR Congo to Zambia:
+ A Belgian couple did this in a Toyota Landcruiser not too long back:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...kinshasa-53285
+ I imagine it will be very hard on a bicycle too, as it will be mostly
pushing it (as the locals do).
+Alternatively you could enter DR Congo from North Uganda and
bypass Kinshasa, roads will be poor, and I did it abour 15 yrs back
so cannot give recent info on this option.

THE MAP I HAVE ATTATCHED SHOWS THE ROUTES I BELIEVE TO BE POSSIBLE TO CROSS AFRICA EAST-WEST (OR V.V.). IT SHOWS THEM IN EASIEST TO HARDEST (GREEN, EASIEST - ORANGE, MEDIUM - RED, HARDEST). THE DOTTED LINE IN DR CONGO REPRESENTS RIVER BARGE TRAVEL. FULL LINES REPRESENT ROAD TRAVEL. THIS MAP IS ONLY AS THE ROUTES STAND AT THE MOMENT IN MY OPINION.

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[trans-african]

Originally Posted by Chris Scott

I don't follow the news from DRC every day, I've never been there and I can barely ride a pushbike, but it's part of my job to keep tabs on trans-Africa routes, as many others here do. From what we know NE DRC seems pretty far gone and for that reason I suspect this forum is the wrong place to ask for northern DRC travel advice. You need to make contact with the NGOs and other agencies who work in the area. They will tell it like it is which may include the news 'come on in, the water's lovely!'

I identified the possibility of a newly opened alternative route to get to the east side (I have not done that either, before you ask). One day someone will cross north DRC without any ensuing 'what if...' nightmares and a classic old trans-Africa route will re-open. Let us know how you get on.

Chris S

Just about what Chris said, yes, Certainly contact local NGO offices as they can be of great help, although I was not able to come by many, Church missions are also good sources of guidance (of the navigation variety I mean). I very much doubt they'd tell you that those parts of DR Congo are good to visit right now, but situations change all the time.

As far as I am aware, it is not possible to cross from CAR to NE DR Congo on anything larger than a bike at the moment as there is a river (Bomu) in the way, and the only way across is on dug out canoe. For you on a push bike it would be fine, Mboki would be a good place to get to to cross into DR Congo, but when you are in DR Congo, it will be very hard going.

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