The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has formally protested Kenya’s decision to appoint a new consul-general to Goma, a city currently under the occupation of M23 rebels in the country’s volatile east.

The protest, delivered on Saturday, August 16, deepens the strained ties between Kinshasa and Nairobi. It comes barely a year after DRC rejected the credentials of a Kenyan ambassador, further complicating diplomatic relations between the two nations.

On Friday, President William Ruto appointed Judy Kiaria Nkumiri as Kenya’s new Consul-General to Goma. At the same time, Moni Manyange, who previously held the Goma post, was named deputy head of mission at Kenya’s embassy in Kinshasa.

However, the move was swiftly challenged by DRC’s Foreign Minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, who called her Kenyan counterpart, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, to express her government’s disapproval.

In a statement, Wagner said Kenya had failed to consult Kinshasa before making the announcement and warned that posting a consul to Goma, a city effectively outside government control since March, undermined DRC’s sovereignty.

“The DRC recalls that the appointment of any foreign consular position on its territory is subordinate to its prior approval and the issuance of an exequatur by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kinshasa,” she noted.

Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, has been under the control of M23 rebels operating under the Congo River Alliance (AFC) since early 2024. The rebel group, accused of receiving support from Rwanda, has been implicated in grave human rights violations according to recent UN reports.

Kinshasa insists that no foreign consul should be deployed to Goma without its express approval, especially given the ongoing conflict.

“In this context, any announcement relating to the appointment of a consul in Goma is particularly inappropriate,” Wagner stressed.

Diplomatic tradition requires host states to issue documents of approval before the deployment of foreign envoys. For consuls-general, this is the exequatur, while ambassadors must first receive an agrément from the receiving state.

But beyond procedure, the DRC views Kenya’s actions as politically sensitive. Nairobi has previously hosted M23/AFC leaders and declined to extradite them to face treason charges in Kinshasa. This has fueled suspicions of Kenyan sympathy for the rebels, an accusation Nairobi strongly denies.

The fallout has been visible. Last year, Congolese protesters stormed and vandalized Kenya’s embassy in Kinshasa, citing alleged Kenyan support for M23. President Félix Tshisekedi also refused to accept credentials from Kenya’s new ambassador, Shem Amadi, further highlighting the diplomatic rift.

It remains unclear how Kenya’s newly appointed consul-general could operate in Goma given the city’s ongoing conflict. Observers suggest she may be stationed in a neighbouring country or remain in Nairobi while awaiting developments.