Responses to Information Requests

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

1. ECIDÉ Party Membership Card

Information on the ECIDÉ party membership card was scarce among sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to its constitution, the ECIDÉ party has four member categories: founding members, full members, sympathizing members and honorary members (ECIDÉ 2010, Art. 7). The constitution reads as follows:

[translation]

Article 8: Founding members

A founding member of the party is any signatory to the ECIDÉ constitution who has paid in full the amount set as the founding contribution.

In the event of the party's dissolution or an amendment to its constitution affecting its purpose or democratic character, consultation with the founding members, convened as the College of Founders, is mandatory. The College of Founders is composed of those founding members who remain full members of the party.

Article 9: Full members

Any Congolese national who is at least 18 years of age, is of good moral character, is committed to the vision, social project and political platform of ECIDÉ, undertakes to comply with its constitution, decisions and directives at all levels, and is in good standing with membership dues qualifies as a full member.

Each full member must be affiliated with a local unit, regardless of organizational level.

Any full member who is at least two (2) months in arrears in payment of dues loses the right to vote at meetings of party bodies at all levels and may therefore not stand for election to party positions or be designated as a party candidate for any public office.

Article 10: Sympathizing members

A sympathizing member is any person who, without having the status of full member as defined in article 8 of this constitution, subscribes to the objectives of the party and participates in its activities (meetings and other events).

A sympathizing member must be registered at the level of a unit.

A sympathizing member may attend local party meetings, depending on the agenda, but does not have voting rights.

Payment of membership dues is not mandatory for sympathizing members, and sympathizing member status is not exclusive.

Article 11: Honorary members

An honorary member is any individual who, through material, financial or moral support, makes a substantial contribution to the achievement of the party's objectives.

The National Council grants and, where applicable, withdraws honorary member status. Honorary member status is not exclusive.

An honorary member may attend the party convention, depending on the agenda, but does not have voting rights (ECIDÉ 2010).

1.1. Versions

Among the sources consulted within the time constraints of this Response, the Research Directorate found only one version of the ECIDÉ party membership card, which is visible in a May 2021 post on the party's Facebook account (ECIDÉ 2021-05-21). The same card also appears in media articles from May 2021 (Patrie News 2021-05-26; Yabiso News 2021-05-25) (Attachment 1).

Information on the validity of the card as of March 2026 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

For information on an online portal and a digital application, both called VisoCarte, which describe themselves as ways to join the party and obtain a membership card, but whose link to the ECIDÉ party could not be formally established, see section 3 of this Response.

1.2. Contents

The membership card valid as of 2021, as it appears in a 21 May 2021 post by the ECIDÉ party's Facebook account (Attachment 1), displays the following information on the front:

• the full name of the party;
• the card title: "Carte de membre" (Membership Card);
• the logo of the ECIDÉ party [see section 1.3 of this Response];
• a number made up of a series of digits: 00 / 0000000 / 00;
• the name of party's secretary general;
• the secretary general's signature;
• the cardholder's surname;
• their post-name;
• their first name;
• the unit/chapter to which the cardholder belongs;
• the province;
• the place and date of issuance of the card;
• the expiry date;
• a photograph of the cardholder (2021-05-21).
  
  

The back of the card bears an excerpt from article 15 of the ECIDÉ party constitution, which concerns member obligations and duties (ECIDÉ 2021-05-21).

According to article 14 of the ECIDÉ party constitution, the categories [translation] "full member," "honorary member" and "sympathizing member" should be indicated on the card [no mention is made of the "founding member" category] (2010).

1.3. Appearance

The ECIDÉ party logo, which appears on the card, consists of a yellow circle surrounded by a dark blue circle and crossed horizontally by a band of the same blue, in which the word "ECIDÉ" is written in white text; above the band, in the yellow, there is a palm tree with green leaves and a brown trunk on a green mound; under the band are the words "civisme" (civic duty), "travail" (work) and "justice"; and within the dark blue outer circle is written, at the top, "Engagement pour la citoyenneté" (Commitment to Citizenship) and, at the bottom, "et le développement" (and Development) (ECIDÉ 2021-05-21) (Attachment 1).

The information in the following paragraphs was taken from the ECIDÉ party's 21 May 2021 Facebook post:

The ECIDÉ party membership card features four main colours (white, yellow, dark blue and black) with green and brown accents (in the ECIDÉ party logo). The card's background is divided into 3 sections, 1 of which is white, another yellow, and the last dark blue. The text is in black and white.

The back of the card features a black stripe at the top and a dark blue wave at the bottom; the rest of the background is white with the ECIDÉ party logo appearing behind the excerpt of article 15 of the constitution (ECIDÉ 2021-05-21).

1.4. Security Features

In an article published in May 2021 in the Congolese online newspaper Patrie News (Patrie News n.d.), the membership card is described as a [translation] "semi-biometric" card that will "enhance security" for members (2025-05-26). The sample of this card includes a photograph of the holder (ECIDÉ 2021-05-21).

2. Requirements and Procedure to Become a Member and Obtain a Card

2.1. In the Country

According to the ECIDÉ party constitution,

[translation]

membership in the Commitment to Citizenship and Development [ECIDÉ] is voluntary and individual. Any Congolese national who enjoys full civil and political rights, subscribes to the vision, purpose, values charter and social project of the party, may apply for membership in ECIDÉ in accordance with the conditions and membership procedure set out in this constitution (2010, Art. 6).

The procedure for joining the party is set out in the constitution (ECIDÉ 2010, Art. 6, 12). According to article 6, [translation] "any application for membership is submitted individually by the applicant to the local area (unit or chapter) in which they reside;" however, "applications for membership from national and provincial leaders from other political parties or from any other organization with national or provincial visibility are submitted to the National Office or to the District, as appropriate" (ECIDÉ 2010).

The requirements and procedure for each category of members to join the party are set out in article 12:

[translation]

The procedure for joining ECIDÉ is as follows:

Founding member

• Subscribe to the constitution, vision, values charter and key elements of the party's social project;
• Pay in full the equivalent in Congolese francs of [US]$50, the amount set as the founding contribution;
• Have signed the ECIDÉ constitution at the time of the party's creation.

Full member and sympathizing member

• Contact a unit, a chapter, a provincial council or the National Office;
• Familiarize oneself with the constitution, vision and values charter;
• Choose the membership category (full member or sympathizing member);
• Complete and sign the membership form;
• Sign the values charter;
• Obtain approval from the competent body, in the case of a full member;
• Submit three passport photographs;
• Purchase the membership card for the chosen category.

Honorary member

• Contact a provincial council or the National Office;
• Familiarize oneself with the constitution, vision and values charter;
• Sign a commitment to provide financial or material support;
• Obtain approval from the National Office (ECIDÉ 2010).
  
  

Congolese media articles from 2021 state that a fee must be paid to obtain a membership card (Patrie News 2021-05-26; Yabiso News 2021-05-25). A May 2021 article in Yabiso News, [translation] "an online media outlet focused on DRC news," reports that a membership card costs 2,000 Congolese Francs (CDF) [C$1.20] (2021-05-25).

Sources state that to obtain or renew a card, individuals must go to an ECIDÉ party office (Patrie News 2021-05-26; Yabiso News 2021-05-25) [translation] "in […] the city-province of Kinshasa [or in] the provinces" (Patrie News 2021-05-26). According to Yabiso News, you must then complete a registration form (2021-05-25).

2.2. From Abroad

According to article 6 of the ECIDÉ party constitution, Congolese nationals who reside permanently in a foreign country may apply for membership through the [translation] "chapter in their country of residence or that of the nearest country" (2010). Media outlets Yabiso News and Patrie News similarly report in 2021 that members of the Congolese diaspora may purchase or renew their cards (Patrie News 2021-05-26; Yabiso News 2021-05-25). Further information on the requirements and procedures for obtaining a card from abroad and on the existence of an ECIDÉ party chapter in Canada could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. VisoCarte

An online portal called VisoCarte describes itself as an [translation] "ECIDÉ membership card management system" that "aims to simplify management of membership and provide clear and professional identity cards" to members, although ECIDÉ party ownership of this tool could not be established, nor could a direct link between it and the party be clearly established (VisoCarte n.d.).

There is also a VisoCarte application on the Google Play and Apple Store platforms (Google Play 2026-02-01; Apple Store 2026-02-02). The application offers a [translation] "digital" card to users seeking to "prove their membership in … a party" (Google Play 2026-02-01) or "to verify the authenticity" of members' registration (Apple Store 2026-02-02). This application is not presented as a tool of the ECIDÉ party; however, the images illustrating its various uses on Google Play and the Apple Store relate to the party (Google Play 2026-02-01; Apple Store 2026-02-02).

A sample of the VisoCarte card is attached to this Response (Attachment 2).

3.1. Contents

In the [translation] "Membership Card Overview" example on the VisoCarte online portal, and on the membership card illustrating the various uses of the VisoCarte application on Google Play, the front of the card displays the following information:

• the full name of the party;
• the title of the document: "Carte de membre" (membership card);
• the member's number;
• the cardholder's surname;
• their post-name;
• their first name;
• the unit/chapter to which they belong;
• the date and place of card issuance;
• the expiry date;
• the name of the party's secretary general;
• a space for the photograph;
• a QR code (Google Play 2026-02-01; VisoCarte n.d.).
  
  

The back of the card, which is only visible on the VisoCarte online portal, displays the following information:

• the sentence "Cette carte est personnelle et incessible." (This card is personal and non-transferable.);
• the logo of the ECIDÉ party;
• a 1D barcode (n.d.).
  
  

3.2. Appearance

The membership card issued by VisoCarte is mainly dark blue, with elements in yellow, white and slightly lighter blue; it has some green and brown accents (in the ECIDÉ logo on the back of the card) (Google Play 2026-02-01; VisoCarte n.d.).

On the front, the entire background of the card is dark blue and in the centre of the background is a monochromatic version of the ECIDÉ party logo in slightly lighter blue [the logo is described in section 1.3 of this Response]; the text and QR code appear in white; and the document title and a horizontal line running across the top of the card are yellow (Google Play 2026-02-01; VisoCarte n.d.). The space reserved for the photograph, on the right, is also shown in yellow on the portal's example (VisoCarte n.d.). However, it disappears with the addition of the photograph, as can be seen on the application (Google Play 2026-02-01).

On the back, the entire background of the card is dark blue; the text at the top of the card and the 1D barcode are white; and the ECIDÉ party logo at the centre of the card is yellow, blue, white, green and brown (VisoCarte n.d.). The monochromatic logo that appears in the background is larger than the previous one and is a slightly lighter blue than the background of the card (VisoCarte n.d.).

3.3. Security Features

This membership card features a photograph of the cardholder, a QR code (Google Play 2026-02-01; VisoCarte n.d.) and a 1D barcode (VisoCarte n.d.).

3.4. Requirements and Procedure to Obtain the Card Issued by VisoCarte

The VisoCarte e-portal states that, through the portal, it is possible to [translation] "create, update and view" a membership card (n.d.). It allows users to create or modify a card in five steps, the first of which consists of providing their surname, post-name, first name, membership number, date and place of birth, and gender (VisoCarte n.d.). The Research Directorate was unable to access the other steps of the online registration.

The images accompanying the description of the VisoCarte application on Google Play indicate that it allows users to access a members' area, make payments, display a digital membership card, and verify its authenticity using a QR code (Google Play 2026-02-01). The terms and conditions of the VisoCarte application, available on the VisoCarte website, specify that, to access certain functionalities, including the creation of a membership card, users must create a [translation] "personal account" (2025). They also state that the digital card is generated from the information entered by the user and/or by the partner organization, and that it is the organization (in this case, the ECIDÉ party), and not VisoCarte, that determines the each member's status and the associated costs (VisoCarte 2025).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Apple Store. 2026-02-02. "Viso Carte." [Accessed 2026-03-17]

Engagement pour la citoyenneté et le développement (ECIDÉ). 2021-05-21. "Opération nouvelle carte de membre." Facebook. [Accessed 2026-02-26]

Engagement pour la citoyenneté et le développement (ECIDÉ). 2010. Statuts. [Accessed 2026-02-16]

Google Play. 2026-02-01. "Viso Carte." [Accessed 2026-03-18]

Patrie News. 2021-05-26. Graciela Kabongo. "Politique-RDC : opération de la nouvelle carte semi-biométrique, ECIDÉ de Martin Fayulu gagne du terrain." [Accessed 2026-02-27]

Patrie News. N.d. "Contact us." [Accessed 2026-02-27]

VisoCarte. 2025. "Conditions generales dutilisation." [Accessed 2026-03-16]

VisoCarte. N.d. Homepage. [Accessed 2026-02-26]

Yabiso News. 2021-05-25. Dostin Eugène Luange. "RDC : l'ECIDÉ de Martin Fayulu lance l'opération de renouvellement des cartes de membres." [Accessed 2026-02-26]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: ECIDÉ – chapter for Belgium, chapter for the UK; VisoCarte.

Websites, including: CNT Live; ECIDÉ; EU – EU Agency for Asylum; La République; X.

Attachments

1. Engagement pour la citoyenneté et le développement (ECIDÉ). 2021-05-21. "Opération nouvelle carte de membre." Facebook. [Accessed 2026-02-26]
2. VisoCarte. N.d. "Aperçu de la carte de membre." [Accessed 2026-02-26]