Ebola closure cuts off a lifeline between DRC’s Goma and Rwanda
Key takeaways
- Health officials defend the restrictions, but traders say the measures have disrupted the flow of goods and income.
- A few dozen metres away, a sentry box painted in the colours of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) overlooks a border that has long sustained thousands of livelihoods.
- Since authorities announced a confirmed Ebola case in Goma on May 16, the crossing has been closed, cutting off a vital trade route for thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on moving between the two cities.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Health officials defend the restrictions, but traders say the measures have disrupted the flow of goods and income.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Thousands of people who rely on daily trade between eastern DR Congo and Rwanda say border closures have cut off incomes and deepened hardship [Arlette Bashizi/Reuters]By Prosper Heri Ngorora Published On 22 Jun 202622 Jun 2026Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo – Between the border posts linking Goma and the Rwandan town of Gisenyi, at Petite Barrière, stands a wooden hut that was once crowded with traders and travellers moving back and forth each day.
A few dozen metres away, a sentry box painted in the colours of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) overlooks a border that has long sustained thousands of livelihoods. Across the frontier, another painted green box marks the entrance to Gisenyi.