Kinshasa, June 5th, 2025 (CPA).– The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda have launched on Thursday during a workshop in Kinshasa (capital of DRC) two cross-border projects worth €25 million funded by the European Union (EU), aimed at strengthening stability, cooperation and stimulating trade in border regions.
‘The projects, implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and TradeMark Africa (TMA), aim to build safer, more efficient and more resilient cross-border economies between the two countries, strengthen the stability, the resilience and the cooperation, to reduce the logistics costs and to stimulate the trade in the border regions,’ has indicated Jean-Claude Mbwankiem, Director of Service and Representative of the General Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in his opening speech at the workshop. « The border region between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, like so many other similar border areas on the continent, is not only a space for living, movement, trade and historical ties, but also a vulnerable space, sometimes plagued by tensions, armed conflicts, population displacement and structural fragility that hinder sustainable development, » he has added.
It is precisely to address these challenges that the project ‘Borderlands: Strengthening cross-border cooperation, stabilisation and resilience in the border areas between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Uganda’, which is implemented by the IOM, is find so important, he has added. The project’s objective is to strengthen the border cooperation, to consolidate peace, to support social cohesion and to promote resilient development, in perfect harmony with the vision of Head of State Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who places the peace, regional integration and the well-being of the population at the heart of his government’s action, he has said. Jean-Claude Mbwankiem, Director of Service, has praised the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and other partners involved in this project, which is according to him, a bridge for collaboration, trade, shared prosperity and sustained economic growth.
According to Ms Alexandra Simpson, Head of IOM in DRC, this objective will be achieved through a holistic approach combining local governance mechanisms, interventions aimed at strengthening social cohesion and security while improving basic services in border areas, and the creation of sustainable socio-economic opportunities. The launching workshop is taking place in two phases: the first phase in Kinshasa, setting the strategic framework with institutional and technical partners, while the second phase will take place in Bunia in DRC, involving local actors, provincial authorities and local communities to anchor the project in the local context, as well as in the Republic of Uganda.
Another related project is focused on cross-border trade, implemented by TradeMark Africa, presented at the event with a view to promoting a synergy of action and better coordination of interventions in favour of border communities.
Need to strengthen cross-border trade and local economic development
The speakers
According to Mr Alain Kikeni Kimolo, Project Manager for Health and Development for the European Union (EU) in DRC, the €10 million of the €25 million granted by the EU are allocated to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for the implementation of the Borderlands project over a three-year period, with a view to strengthening regional integration, cross-border trade, local economic development and peace building in the border areas between DRC and Uganda. And €15 million granted to Trade Mark Africa (TMA) for the same cause.
The TMA structure will work in partnership with the relevant ministers of the two countries, the national agencies, the chambers of commerce, the professional associations, the regional economic communities, the multilateral trade institutions and the UN agencies. The three-year ‘Peaceful and Resilient Borders II’ programme, led by TradeMark Africa, aims to improve transport infrastructure, facilitate trade and strengthen the resilience of communities living along a strategic but fragile cross-border corridor.
The initiative includes harmonising customs procedures in line with East African Community (EAC) standards, modernising key infrastructure such as the Mahagi road and bridge and the Ntoroko lake port, and introducing mobile laboratories for quality control. The international border between DRC and Uganda has been plagued by armed conflict for 20 years.
The border areas, particularly on DRC side, have always faced various conflict factors related to customary power, identity issues, and land and natural resource management. Tensions in the north-east of the country fuel cross-border instability, and the political exploitation of young people and their recruitment into armed groups continue to fuel on-going conflicts.