The Goma-Gisenyi border crossing, connecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, has begun a phased reopening following more than a week without new active Ebola virus disease cases in the area.

Initially, the partial reopening applies to specific traveler categories, including individuals traveling to Gisenyi for banking transactions, humanitarian workers moving to Goma or continuing to Kigali for international flights, and those with urgent reasons subject to immigration approval.

This gradual resumption of cross-border movement has been welcomed by communities on both sides of the border, where trade and daily exchanges had significantly slowed due to health restrictions implemented to curb the disease’s spread. The temporary closure had severely disrupted local economic activities and daily commutes between Goma and Gisenyi.

Health authorities continue to maintain epidemiological surveillance, contact tracing, and community sensitization to prevent any resurgence of the disease, which has historically shown high fatality rates in Central Africa.

It is worth noting that the temporary closure of border posts between the DRC and Rwanda was enforced since the morning of Sunday, May 17. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Ministry of Health reports it has been closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC and confirms no cases have been detected on its territory to date.

Reporting by Josué Mutanava in Goma