Uganda, DRC officials meet to resolve border boundary dispute

Kisoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Officials from Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs have held a high-profile meeting with their Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) counterparts to discuss means of resolving border boundary conflict along eastern Rutshuru territory and the southwestern Ugandan district of Kisoro.

Ugandan officials were led by Colonel Naboth Mwesigwa from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while DRC officials by Vangu Mabyala, an expert from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Major General Peter Chirimwami, Military Governor of North Province.

Mabyala says that the 71 km long boundary area under discussion runs from Mount Sabinyo to Bwindi, on the border between Bwindi National Park (on the Ugandan side) and Sarambwe Nature Reserve (on the DR Congo side), passing through the DRC-Uganda-Rwanda tri-point.

According to Mabyala, the area under discussion has only 16 markers hence causing conflict with the remaining part.  Mabyala adds that the meeting is discussing the methodology for executing the border opening, the work plan for the survey, the budget, and the documentation required for the survey.

Major General P Chirimwami, says that such a meeting promotes the return to peace in relations between the Congolese and Ugandan peoples. “It is to seek to resolve this historically linked conflict that these meetings are being held, and the expectation of the population of both countries is the return to their natural environments. The reconstitution of common borders and their stability are the guarantee of development that benefits all”, says Chirimwami.

But, Colonel Mwesigwa, says he does not recognize the multiple boundary conflicts between the two countries but the demarcation operation is rather preventive.     “There is no conflict and we have never been at war with the DRC but we are here to reassure ourselves that if there are any cross-border disagreements, this will be addressed for the benefit of both countries. These meetings will allow the two parties to develop a roadmap, a document to which our two countries will commit for the reconstitution of our common borders,” says Colonel Mwesigwa.

It is not clear how the matter will be implemented since the area is under the control of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels.

In October 2023, the DR Congo government raised a concern accusing Uganda of annexing 8 8-kilometre area of Congolese soil located in Mungo locality, Busanza Groupement, Bwisha chiefdom Ritshuru territory onto Uganda.  The Ugandan government did not respond to the claims.

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