Authorities and residents in Kisoro District say the prolonged insurgency by the March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to inflict severe economic and security challenges on communities along the Uganda-DRC border.
Since the resurgence of the rebellion in 2022, Kisoro has been among the worst-affected Ugandan districts because of its proximity to the DRC and its dependence on cross-border trade through the strategic Bunagana border post.
On June 13, 2022, M23/AFC rebels captured Bunagana on the Congolese side of the border, cutting off the main route linking Uganda to Goma through Rutshuru Territory.
They later seized the Kitagoma/Busanza border area in October 2022, tightening their control over neighbouring crossings. The Congolese government subsequently closed the affected border posts, declaring them under enemy control.
Although Uganda reopened its side of the Bunagana crossing in July 2025 following an announcement by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, commercial activity has never returned to pre-conflict levels.
Most cargo destined for Goma now passes through the Grande Barrière border in Rubavu, Rwanda, via the Chanika border, while transport operators have abandoned the Bunagana route in favour of the longer but more secure corridor.
The shift has dealt a heavy blow to businesses in Bunagana, sharply reduced local government revenue, and kept Ugandan security agencies on high alert amid fears that fighting could spill across the border.
A visit to Bunagana found a once-bustling border town now unusually quiet, with only a handful of traders still operating. Resident Didas Bizimana says he previously earned a steady income transporting goods across the border but now survives on casual work, including construction and agricultural labour, to support his family.
Trader David Nkunzi says his daily profits have fallen dramatically. Before the insurgency, he could earn up to Shillings 100,000 a day but now struggles to make enough to pay rent and support his household.
Bunagana Town Council LCIII Chairperson Ismail Ndayambaje says the town was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic when the insurgency struck. He says local revenue has declined sharply because many traders can no longer afford annual trading licence fees.
According to Ndayambaje, the town council has lost an estimated Shillings 150 million in local revenue over the past four years, affecting road maintenance, bridge repairs, community programmes and other essential services.
He adds that recent Ebola-related restrictions in eastern DRC further disrupted cross-border movement, preventing many residents from accessing their farmland or visiting relatives across the border.
Ndayambaje also attributes rising cases of theft, house break-ins and domestic violence to growing unemployment and poverty, saying security agencies now record an average of four to five such cases daily.
Kisoro Assistant Resident District Commissioner Valence Hagumimana acknowledges the severe impact of the conflict on livelihoods in Bunagana and neighbouring areas, including Muramba, Nyarusiza and Nyarubuye.
He urges residents to take advantage of government wealth-creation programmes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga while expressing hope that peace will eventually return.
Meanwhile, fighting continues in South Kivu Province between M23/AFC rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), backed by Wazalendo militias.
On July 5, M23/AFC captured the localities of Kakenke, Muko and Nyaruhinga in the Fizi Highlands, positions considered strategically important because they provide access toward Baraka City and Tanganyika Province.
A day earlier, the rebels and their Twirwaneho allies also seized Point Zero, a strategic hill overlooking key supply routes linking Minembwe, the Mwenga Highlands and Baraka. FARDC has accused M23/AFC of using Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to strike populated areas, causing civilian casualties and property destruction.
On Tuesday, Operation Sukola II South Kivu spokesperson Lt. Reagan Mbuyi Kalonji announced that FARDC had recaptured the strategic positions of Kimete, Wihene and Kashamata after launching a counteroffensive.
He said M23/AFC fighters and their Twirwaneho allies had retreated toward Rugezi and Bigaragara, south of Minembwe. Despite ongoing peace talks in Doha, fighting continues across eastern DRC, with both the Congolese government and M23/AFC accusing each other of violating ceasefire agreements.
Kinshasa continues to accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebellion, allegations consistently denied by both the Rwandan government and M23/AFC. M23/AFC says its rebellion seeks to address corruption, discrimination and xenophobia in the DRC. Since launching a major offensive in early 2025, the group has captured several strategic towns in eastern Congo, raising concerns about a wider regional conflict-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
