The Chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Odrek Rwabwogo, has urged Ugandan traders to remain calm, assuring them that the government is working to strengthen trade relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking to journalists at the PACEID offices in Naguru, Kampala, on October 23, 2025, Rwabwogo described the reopening of Bunagana border as “good news” for regional trade, even though business has been slow to resume.
The Bunagana border, which reopened in July 2025 after a three-year closure, continues to face administrative and logistical challenges, with the DRC side still occupied by the rebels. Authorities, however, maintain that efforts are ongoing to restore normal cross-border trade.
The border had been closed on June 13, 2022, following the M23 rebel occupation of parts of eastern DRC. It was officially reopened on July 10, 2025, by Ugandan authorities.
Rwabwogo encouraged traders to seize the renewed opportunity to re-engage with their DRC counterparts despite lingering security concerns.
“In November last year, we were in the final stages of launching a Ugandan trade hub in Kinshasa to promote our products like meat, coffee, milk, and tea,” he recalled. “Unfortunately, those plans were disrupted by the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. We are still on standby to this day.”
He acknowledged that many traders remain hesitant due to instability across the border, citing his own recent experience with trade disruptions.
“I once transported milk through Rubavu in Rwanda to Goma City, but it went bad before payments could be made,” Rwabwogo said. “We shall now work hard to ensure that Uganda and the DRC resume what was paused last November. We can’t keep waiting.”
Rwabwogo, who is also President Museveni’s son-in-law, emphasizes that Uganda’s trade with the DRC remains vital, valued at about USD 600 million annually, with most exports destined for the conflict-affected eastern region.
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