Museveni, Tshisekedi agree on DR Congo roadworks

President Museveni and his Congo counterpart Felix Tshisekedi have agreed to construct some roads connecting the two countries and intensify joint operations against armed groups.

Mr Museveni's meeting with Mr Tshisekedi at State House Entebbe in Uganda yesterday also focused on regional security and oil exploration on Lake Albert.

“We discussed, among other issues, security between Uganda and DRC, regional security, and infrastructural developments, including key roads of mutual economic benefit. We are all in agreement that what Congo needs is what Uganda needs. Hence, we have discussed everything here,” Mr Museveni said in a statement.

The meeting is an indicator of improved ties between the two countries, which had deteriorated when the Congolese government accused Uganda of supporting M23 rebels.

In July 2022, the M23 rebels seized the Bunagana border on the DRC side.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the then Uganda Peoples Defence Forces Commander of Land Forces, aggravated the matter when he posted messages on his social media accounts supporting Congolese rebels. Congolese politicians then halted support to the joint infrastructure projects.

The relationship has since improved following successes in joint UPDF and Congolese forces operations against Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern DRC.

In December 2021, the UPDF carried out air and artillery strikes on suspected bases of ADF in Eastern DRC. Uganda and DRC agreed to carry out joint attacks on ADF rebels in the east of the DRC.

Last month, Mr Tshisekedi approved the extension of the joint operations against ADF in eastern DRC.

President Tshisekedi described his meeting with Mr Museveni as enriching.

“I am leaving with the hope that what we have said to each other will come true. I am counting on you, on your wisdom, so that everything we have said to each other comes true,” Mr Tshisekedi said.

Last month, Ugandan and DRC forces agreed on military training of Congolese forces based in eastern DRC. But the issue is said to be a sticky one since Rwanda, which accuses Congolese forces of targeting Tutsi minorities in the Eastern DRC. Rwanda restored diplomatic relations with Kampala in January 2022 after the former reopened their border with Uganda, three years after accusing the latter of supporting rebels who want to topple Mr Paul Kagame's government.

Mr Tshisekedi said he is committed to developing infrastructure projects between the two countries.

“During his discussions with President Félix Tshisekedi, Ugandan Head of State Yoweri Museveni reiterated his commitment to building the Kasindi-Beni-Butembo roads and, eventually, the Bunagana-Rutshuru-Goma Road,” a statement from DRC presidency reads in part.

President Tshisekedi said the revamping of the construction of the roads “is one of the motivations for our membership in the East African Community, but unfortunately everything stopped because of the aggression we are suffering”.

ABOUT DRC ROAD PROJECT

In 2021, Uganda and DRC signed an agreement that would seen the development of 220 kilometres of roads connecting the two countries. These include: Mpondwe/Kasindi-Beni road, (80km), Beni-Butembo (54km), and Bunagana-Rutshuru-Goma (89km). However, there has been a delay in tarmacking them after M23 rebels captured part of the Bunagana-Rutshuru area. Last month, the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, and his Congolese counterpart, Alexis Gisaro met in Kinshasa, where they signed an agreement that resolves the challenges that have caused delays in the development of the roads.The DRC will pay 20 percent of the funding for construction of the roads