Kisoro Traders Demand Government Compensation Over Billions Lost in Border Closures.

Traders from Kisoro District are seeking compensation from the Ugandan government for goods and property worth millions of shillings lost, following the 2019 Rwanda- DRC border closure.

The traders say they lost goods worth more than 800 million shillings in Rwanda following the closure of the Rwanda border while losses in the DRC exceeded one billion shillings after fighting intensified in 2022. Cross-Border Traders Chairperson Guard Gakara said many traders were unable to recover their goods when the borders were closed.

Bunagana LC5 Councillor and traders’ chairperson Yeremiya Kagiraneza said some Ugandans also lost businesses, farms and homes in the DRC, leaving them struggling to rebuild their livelihoods. Meanwhile, the Uganda-DRC border remains closed as authorities work to control the spread of Ebola in the DRC.