The Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda met last week, on October 30, 2024. According to the Congolese presidency, the men had a three-hour talk, focused on security issues and regional development opportunities.

After the meeting, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said the discussion was "very enriching and very promising." The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni noted that the talks addressed bilateral security concerns and regional stability between Uganda and the DRC.

Last July, UN experts claimed in a report that Ugandan officers had allowed M23 and Rwandan troops to pass through Uganda to attack the DRC. The same report also accused Uganda of harboring leaders of the rebel movement. The Ugandan army's deputy spokesman dismissed these claims calling them "risible, unfounded and illogical". He then insisted that both armies work together to restore peace in eastern DRC. Following a review meeting held on October 10 and 11, 2024, in Kinshasa, with the chiefs of staff from both countries' armed forces, the DRC announced plans to strengthen its cooperation with Uganda. 

Kasindi-Beni-Butembo Roads

Beyond security matters, the two leaders discussed developing the oil sector around Lake Albert and improving road infrastructure. According to the DRC presidency, President Museveni reaffirmed his commitment to building the Kasindi-Beni-Butembo road and eventually the Bunagana-Rutshuru-Goma road. "This is one of the motivations for our membership in the East African Community (EAC), but unfortunately everything has come to a halt because of the aggression we are suffering," said Tshisekedi.

These roads will connect the two countries and provide access to East Africa and the Indian Ocean from Kasindi-Lubiriha. In June 2021, Tshisekedi and Museveni laid the foundation stone for these projects, with construction starting in 2022 on the nearly 140 km Kasindi-Beni-Butembo road. This part of the project has an initial cost of $300 million and is carried out by Dott Services Limited, an Indian company based in Uganda. Dott Services should finance 60% of the work, while both countries will contribute 20%.

A few months ago, the project was paused due to non-compliance with certain contract terms. To address these issues, on October 16, 2024, the DRC and Uganda signed an amendment to their agreement related to the two road projects. They agreed to exempt taxes and other fees, enhance security against rebel threats in the region, and improve project coordination.

Oil Pipeline

The DRC and Uganda are exploring ways to enable the DRC to join the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. The pipeline project, spanning 1,400 km, will connect Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda to Tanga port in Tanzania. Supported by Uganda, Tanzania, Total Energies, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the pipeline will facilitate the transportation of crude extracted from the Albertine Graben area shared by both countries, thus making the site’s blocks more attractive for investors. 

"I leave with hope that what we discussed will come to fruition. I'm counting on you and your wisdom so that everything we talked about becomes a reality," said Tshisekedi as he concluded his visit to Uganda.

Pierre Mukoko