Burundi-DRC: the overflow of Lake Tanganyika paralyzes cross-border activities

At the Kavimvira border post, the constantly rising waters of Lake Tanganyika are paralyzing activities. The road which connects Burundi to the Democratic Republic of Congo via Kavimvira is no longer passable because of the waters of Lake Tanganyika and the Nyangara River which have risen to the point of preventing traffic. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Shops and restaurants in Kavimvira were flooded. Users of the road linking Burundi to the DRC are complaining. This is the case of Joséphine Furaha, a young Congolese student at the Université Espoir d’Afrique in Bujumbura.

“From the Kavimvira roundabout to the border, I paid 1000 Congolese francs for the ticket but today I pay 5000 francs. This is not with just any vehicle. You need an all-terrain jeep or a truck that is capable of crossing, or even canoes costing 3,000 francs,” she said, disappointed.

According to our sources, the taxis which provided transport between Uvira–Bujumbura stopped, the waters as they were too high for them.

“Our cars are flooded, others break down. It’s impossible to continue working,” regrets Amani, a taxi driver.

A desperate situation on both sides of the border for users of this once busy route.