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DRC–Uganda : Kampala officially reopens its borders with areas controlled by M23 rebels

SOS Médias Burundi

Goma, July 10, 2025 – In the context of a protracted war in eastern DRC, Uganda reopened its border with areas controlled by M23 rebels on Thursday, July 10, 2025. This decision, officially justified by economic reasons, risks having major geopolitical repercussions in the Great Lakes region, where Burundi and Rwanda are also involved, each in their own way, in the conflict.

In a strategic shift with potentially explosive consequences in the Great Lakes region, Uganda officially reopened its borders with the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday, notably at the Bunagana border crossing, which is under the control of M23 rebels.

Until now, trade along this border has been conducted unofficially since its capture by the M23 in June 2022. But on July 10, a short official ceremony was held there, attended by several Ugandan officials, to mark the formal resumption of trade between Uganda and rebel-held Congolese territories.

According to Kampala, the decision is motivated by economic and geopolitical considerations. « We cannot stand idly by while our neighbors benefit from trade with eastern DRC. It is time for Uganda to reclaim its place in this vital market, » said a senior Ugandan official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Since the fall of the cities of Goma and Bukavu to the M23 and its allies, Rwanda has kept its border posts open, taking full advantage of the cross-border economy. Uganda, which has remained behind, now intends to catch up on its trade.

Burundi, for its part, has left its borders open with eastern DRC, even in rebel-held areas near South Kivu.

The border town of Bunagana was the first strategic point to fall into the hands of the M23, in mid-June 2022. And since the beginning of this year, rebels from this armed group affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC) have now controlled the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu, as well as several other strategic mineral-rich areas.

Militarily, Uganda has troops in the DRC to support the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) in the fight against the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), a Ugandan-born terrorist group blacklisted by the United States. As for Burundi, it has deployed approximately 10,000 troops to the east of the vast Central African country to support the Congolese army and local pro-government militias in the war against the M23.

The M23, a former Tutsi rebel group, retook arms in late 2021, accusing Congolese authorities of failing to honor their commitments regarding the reintegration of its fighters. Congolese authorities accuse Rwanda of supporting this rebellion and of sending at least 4,000 troops and equipment to support it, a claim the Rwandan government firmly denies.

This official reopening of the Bunagana post thus risks indirectly strengthening the M23’s economy, while rekindling diplomatic tensions between the DRC, Uganda, and Rwanda.