This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
December 4, 2019
Business at the Uganda-DR Congo border of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha has come to a standstill following a strike by Congolese businessmen over insecurity.
The strike, which began on Saturday, has affected cross-border trade in the area, with most Congolese traders refusing to cross the border into Uganda.
The Congolese traders are protesting against the attacks and killing of civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in DR Congo.
They have also closed their shops in solidarity with fellow Congolese in Beni, northeastern Congo, who are protesting against the 'UN failure to protect' them against rebel attacks.
On Sunday, DR Congo army spokesperson Richard Kasonga announced that they had killed a top ADF rebel commander, Mouhamed Islam Mukubwa, in North Kivu, Beni region.
However, the protests continue, with at least 27 people killed by the rebels on Wednesday last week in Beni, bringing the number of deaths to 107 since November 5.
Ugandan traders, such as Franco Richard, fear crossing the border into Butembo due to the rebel attacks.
Mr Mathias Gillmann, the spokesperson of United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco), said the situation was calm following violent demonstrations on Monday.
He added that talks were still ongoing with the military leadership of the DRC and that Monusco would continue to support the efforts to stabilize the region within its mandate.
