Uganda on alert as situation worsens in eastern DRC

Congolese moving with their property so that to get a better place to settle

Uganda has put all the security agencies at alert of fear of what’s happening in eastern DRC and the refugees that may cross to uganda for asylum

Since January, fighting between the Congolese national army and the M23 rebel group in the North Kivu Province has seen thousands of civilians displaced, with many trekking into Uganda, and dozens killed. The fears are that the regional capital, Goma, could soon fall into the hands of the rebels, as was the case in 2012, which could endanger its two million residents.

Uganda’s Defence Public Information Officer (spokesperson) Brig Felix Kulaigye said the army has increased surveillance and deployment around the common border to avert any violence spillover.

“When there is a war in one country, it affects the neighbours both economically and socially. Currently, there are crossings by people from DRC into Uganda, but the UPDF are in charge. We are ensuring that our side of the border is secure, no matter what goes on inside DRC,” he said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recorded an increase in the number of refugees entering the country.

Between September 2023 and January 2024, Uganda received more than 35,900 Congolese asylum seekers, according to the UNHCR.

The agency said they are monitoring the situation to ensure partners are on the ground and prepared in case of an influx.

“We’re on standby to scale up our capacity should the situation require us to do so. In the settlements, we are also scaling up capacity.

We are ensuring that life-saving services get closer to the refugees in distant zones where new arrivals are received,” the agency said.

The government maintains its call for more support from the donor community in the face of an increase in the number of refugees from the DRC against meagre resources.

Uganda is currently home to at least 1.6 million refugees from South Sudan, Rwanda, DRC, Burundi, and Eritrea.

Hillary Onek, minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, said that escalation of fighting in Eastern DRC has increased the pressure on the country as more refugees are expected to come in.

Uganda considers DRC a key market and the two countries kicked off a joint construction of three key roads that are poised to improve trade between them.

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