Bukavu–Uvira Road Closure Leaves Nearly 1,000 Stranded

A South Kivu provincial lawmaker has called on authorities to reopen the vital Bukavu–Uvira road after nearly 1,000 passengers were reportedly left stranded at roadblocks along the route, according to a report by a local report.

Provincial deputy Amani Katembera Didier raised the alarm in a letter addressed to the provincial governor, warning that hundreds of travelers have been forced to spend several nights outdoors while waiting for movement restrictions to be lifted.

According to the lawmaker, the prolonged disruption on National Road No. 5 (RN5), a key corridor linking Bukavu and Uvira, is creating serious humanitarian and economic challenges. RN5 serves as one of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's most important transport routes, connecting communities, markets, and administrative centers across South Kivu.

Katembera said many travelers are enduring difficult conditions while alternative routes have become increasingly costly. He also alleged that some passengers are paying up to 150,000 Congolese francs at various barriers in addition to normal transport expenses.

The road closure comes amid ongoing security developments in the Ruzizi Plain, where movement patterns have been affected following recent changes in territorial control and military deployments reported by regional media and humanitarian observers.

The situation continues to highlight the broader transport challenges facing eastern DRC, where insecurity frequently disrupts access to essential services and trade routes.

For context on the region's humanitarian situation, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has repeatedly warned about access constraints in eastern DRC.

The lawmaker urged provincial authorities to take measures to restore traffic on the Bukavu–Uvira axis, arguing that reopening the road would ease the suffering of stranded citizens and help revive economic activity along the corridor.

The route remains essential for the movement of goods, humanitarian assistance, and administrative services across South Kivu.

Recent assessments by humanitarian agencies have emphasized the importance of maintaining access along strategic roads in eastern DRC to support displaced populations and facilitate aid delivery.