DR Congo: trade with Burundi undergoes sharp decline
Trade between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi has undergone a sharp decline since the conflict in Congo escalated in February 2024.
According to AfricaNews on March 10th, the Gatumba sector, along the western border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has experienced the most severe impacts upon trade and transportation.
Those living along National Road 4, which connects Bujumbura (Burundis capital) and Uvira (a Congolese city) are struggling financially because of a significant drop in traffic as a result of fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese forces.
Pascal Nt, a driver on the Bujumbura Gatumba-Uvira road said, “Nowadays, we only have a couple of passengers traveling from Uvira to Burundi, sometimes just two. The situation has changed drastically. We used to expect at least four clients from Uvira, which would have been a relief, but now we often return home without any passengers.”
Previously the high trade volume between Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo caused National Route 4 to be very lucrative.
A second driver on the Uvira Gatumba route, Fiston Mulondani described the current situation: “Things were much better before. I could start my day bringing passengers from Uvira to Bujumbura, and I could make two trips daily. But everything changed for the worse around mid-February.”
During the fourth quarter of 2023, 89% of Burundi’s exports were sent to Congo. Since then, the border closure and a surge of refugees out of Congo have caused trade to significantly slow between the two countries, igniting concerns of a potential economic crisis.
AfricaNews, Maghrebi, MSN
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