DR Congo-Burundi border reopens after two-month closure

After over two months of closure, the border post between Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Gatumba in neighboring Burundi officially reopened on Monday.

The crossing was shut down by Burundian authorities when Uvira fell to the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group.

After facing isolation and uncertainty, thousands in Uvira can now breathe a sigh of relief as both countries have agreed to resume cross-border movement under regular procedures.

The two-month interruption has led to rising prices, shortages of certain basic goods and significant income losses for many households. As movement resumes on both sides, the repose is visible.

"We had been unemployed for a long time. We couldn't stay at home for long. It's there in Bujumbura (the economic capital and the largest city of Burundi) that we find work to make a living. I'm personally delighted, and I think others feel the same way. When the border is open, we are free to work to earn a living," said Cito Bwatera, a resident in Uvira.

"In our work, we had no income because there was no movement of people, which is why today I thank God that the border is reopening," said Kanijo Banza, a motorcycle taxi driver.

"Since the day the border was closed, we had nothing else to do. We went home hungry with our children. Now we are very happy to see that the border is reopened, we are back to work, we will start to have money to feed our families and cater to our children who are studying," said Sifa, a border trader.

Uvira is the second-largest city in South Kivu province, and a crucial commercial gateway linking to Burundi's economic hub, Bujumbura.

It has also served as the temporary administrative headquarters of the provincial government after the capital, Bukavu, was captured by the M23 in February 2025.

For now, hope is reborn in Uvira as normalcy returns gradually. However, other crossing points along the Burundi–DRC border remain closed in areas where M23 fighters are still active.

DR Congo-Burundi border reopens after two-month closure

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting that studied work on building a unified national market and reviewed and approved a plan for the development of a modern emergency response system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Noting that building a unified national market is essential to advancing high-quality development, the meeting called for deepening institutional frameworks in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, social credit and market exit mechanisms.

The meeting also urged efforts to advance high-standard connectivity of market infrastructure to facilitate smooth economic circulation and effectively reduce logistics costs across society.

Emergency management is critical to protecting people's lives and property, the meeting said. It called for accelerating the development of a modern emergency response system, deepening reform and innovation in emergency management, and improving coordinated response mechanisms.

Efforts should be made to strengthen risk prevention at the source, enhance monitoring, forecasting and early warning, and accelerate a shift in governance toward proactive prevention, according to the meeting.

A draft revision of the Law on the People's Bank of China was also discussed and approved in principle at the meeting, which decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting