According to Monitor on April 17th, the governments of Uganda and Congo have pledged to strengthen border security to alleviate trade bottlenecks. For a long time, there have been frequent incidents of extortion, illegal taxation, and armed robbery against cross-border traders in the border areas of the two countries. Officials from both countries held a meeting on Tuesday in the town of Nebi in northern Uganda and unanimously agreed to establish a joint security committee aimed at effectively managing border crime issues and rebuilding trust among traders within the framework of the East African Community. Despite previous commitments, traders have reported that multiple checkpoints, especially on the Congo side, still pose obstacles to trade flows. More than 2500 traders transport goods such as fuel and construction materials through border ports such as Goli and Padia every week. Uganda's Minister of State, Godfrey Baluku, has called for the removal of "unnecessary" barriers to promote smooth free trade.
