Fuel and food supplies to the city of Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk after a key section of National Road No. 27 (RN27), which links Bunia to Mahagi in Ituri province, became almost impassable.

The disruption stems from the severe deterioration of the Tchulu Bridge–Jina stretch, located about 40 kilometers north of Bunia. Heavy rains have turned the road into a quagmire, leaving around 450 trucks carrying goods and fuel stranded, according to several local sources.

The ongoing blockage threatens Bunia’s supply lines, where stocks of essential goods are reportedly dwindling, fueling fears of inflation, Radio Okapi reported, citing a representative of local civil society.

Transport operators had already raised alarms about the road’s poor condition in September. They now say the 180-kilometer journey between Bunia and Mahagi takes at least four days to complete, up from about four hours before.

Despite the road’s critical state, a rehabilitation project has been underway on this section for the past two years. The work was awarded to the company ORC Construct under a contract lasting three to five years, funded by the National Road Maintenance Fund (FONER). However, civil society organizations contend that progress has been insignificant, calling the project ineffective as the road continues to deteriorate.

As a vital trade route, the RN27 links Ituri to several East African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Its prolonged blockage threatens to inflict heavy damage on the local economy and is expected to push up the cost of living in Bunia.

Ronsard Luabeya