Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have held a Business Connect Forum and Expo to discuss strategies aimed at increasing trade volumes and value between both countries.
The Forum was held on October 17 and 18 in Butembo, the second-largest city in North Kivu Province, with a sizable population of businesses that have links to as far as Kinshasa. Uganda’s strategic location makes it a crucial gateway in and out of eastern DRC.
The DRC was represented by Julien Paluku, the minister of External Trade; Evariste Somo Kakule, the governor of North Kivu Province; and Sylvain Kanyamanda Mbusa, the mayor of Butembo City, among others.
The Ugandan delegation included Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, the minister of State for Trade; Farid M Kaliisa, Uganda’s ambassador to DRC; and representatives from the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), among others.
Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said, in a statement, that the leaders emphasised the role of sustainable peace and security, and decried the existing non-tariff barriers to trade, including prohibitive administrative practices and discriminatory tax tendencies that discourage seamless trade across the borders.
‘With support from the European Union (EU) and Trademark Africa (TMA), Uganda and DRC are implementing the Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme aimed at transforming cross-border trade into a pathway for peace and economic growth.”
‘The programme seeks to promote regional integration, empower small-scale traders, and ensure the free movement of people and goods between the two countries.”
The two countries are also jointly implementing the construction of key roads viewed as having mutual economic benefit,’ the statement reads in part. It added: ‘The roads include Mpondwe/Kasindi-Beni (80km), Beni-Butembo (54km) and Bunagana-Rutshuru-Goma road (89km), which once completed, will reduce the cost of doing business and create enormous opportunities for the people of both countries.’
According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), the value of Uganda’s exports to DRC increased from $432.4 million (Shs1.5 trillion) in 2016/2017 to $981.5 million (Shs3.4 trillion) in 2024/2025, while DRC exports to Uganda have increased from $23 billion (Shs80 trillion) in 2020 to $59.8 billion (Shs208 trillion) in 2024.
Ambassador Kaliisa attributed this to improvement in the security environment, commencement of improvement in transport infrastructure, and the opening up of the DRC market following its entry into the East African Community (EAC). ‘The various strategies being implemented have the potential to boost the value of Uganda’s exports to DRC to $2 billion (Shs6.9 trillion) in the next few years,’ he said.
The forum, held under the theme: ‘Strengthening Business Linkages for Socio-economic transformation’, attracted more than 50 business enterprises in various product lines and exhibitors from Uganda for business networking with DRC business community, especially from Beni. Some of the Ugandan products showcased included agro-products, poultry and dairy, agro-farm inputs, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, apparels and various construction materials.