Uganda closes DRC border points to curb Ebola spread

28 May 2026, 10:28 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Uganda shares a porous 950-kilometer (KM) land border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the major ports of entry are Mpondwe, the busiest crossing that is vital for trade and access into the mineral-rich North Kivu Province; Bunagana, which connects Kisoro District in Uganda with Rutshuru Territory in the DRC; and Goli/Vurra, which serves communities in Uganda’s West Nile region and Eastern Congo.

It is against this background the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, confirmed that together with others, they made resolutions to curb the spread of Ebola in Uganda, including the closure of the said border points.

“Uganda has not recorded any confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) since Monday, 25th May 2026. However, the total number of contacts to the confirmed cases has increased. Most of those contacts are health workers, with one death. The National Task Force on Ebola Response, chaired by the Vice President, Maj. (Rtd) Jesca Alupo, agreed on the following,” she said.

Uganda is temporarily closing the border with the DRC with immediate effect. The only exceptions are authorized Ebola response teams, humanitarian operations, food and cargo transportation, and security personnel operating under strict health screening and monitoring protocols.

The Immigration Authority has been directed to permit only authorized Ebola response teams.

Any person returning from the DRC into Uganda shall undergo mandatory self-isolation for 21 days under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and District Surveillance Teams.

Schools in border districts shall remain open, but they must observe all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

All RDCs and RCCs have been instructed to strictly ensure the implementation and enforcement of all Ebola prevention and control guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

All media houses are required to dedicate at least 30 minutes of prime-time programming daily to public education and sensitization on Ebola prevention, detection, and reporting.

The PS continued to state that the Government of Uganda is committed to sustained collaboration with the Government of the DRC following the recent bilateral engagement in which both parties agreed to strengthen cross-border cooperation.

“The public is urged to remain calm, vigilant, and strictly adhere to all Ministry of Health guidelines,” she added.