After three weeks of reopening, the Uvira-Bukavu road becomes a corridor of taxes imposed on the population

SOS Médias Burundi

Uvira, April 21, 2026 – Two weeks after the reopening of the National Road 5, linking the city of Uvira to Bukavu in South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, voices are being raised among the population to denounce what they consider excessive fees charged at the various checkpoints erected along this strategic road.

Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, has been under the control of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels since the beginning of 2025, a situation that continues to weigh heavily on the security and administrative dynamics in the region.

Users of this road, particularly traders and transporters, report having to pay significant sums at checkpoints, notably in the Rusizi Plain, Runingu, and Biriba. These checkpoints are manned by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the local Wazalendo militia, supported by Kinshasa.

“We are very happy about the reopening of the Uvira-Bukavu road. But we have to go through four checkpoints where we are charged 5,000 Congolese francs each time. To reach Bukavu, we pay a total of 20,000 Congolese francs at the FARDC and Wazalendo checkpoints in the areas they control. However, we pay nothing at the M23 checkpoints,” testifies one user.

Despite these financial burdens, some residents acknowledge that the reopening of this road has considerably improved trade and the movement of people.

“Our fish from Lake Tanganyika are now being sold in Bukavu and even Goma without any difficulty. Before, to reach Bukavu, we had to go through Burundi, Tanzania, and Rwanda, paying up to $50 for immigration documents, in addition to the yellow card,” explains a trader.

As a reminder, the Uvira-Bukavu road was closed in March by the Wazalendo, following rumors of an infiltration by M23 fighters from Bukavu for espionage activities in the Rusizi Plain.

Currently, although traffic has resumed, the FARDC and the Wazalendo have maintained several checkpoints to control the movement of people and goods, both to and from Bukavu.

Faced with this situation, the population is calling for a reduction, or even the elimination, of these fees, believing they are hindering economic recovery and further worsening living conditions in this part of eastern DRC.