Ebola opens new front in Rwanda-DRC tensions as Kigali shuts border

Traders queue at the Gisenyi border as Rwanda tightens controls after the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, heightening cross-border tensions.

Photo credit: Reuters

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has condemned Rwanda’s decision to shut their shared border in response to a new Ebola outbreak, arguing that the move breaches international health regulations and undermines regional cooperation to contain the Bundibugyo strain.

Rwanda did not formally announce the closure, but residents in Goma, eastern DRC, learnt on Tuesday that they could no longer cross the border, while Rwandan nationals were barred from entering Congo. The only exception was for nationals returning to their own country.