LAND CONFLICT IN DRC DRIVES HUNDREDS OF CONGOLESE INTO UGANDA AMID EBOLA CONCERNS

By Dramadri Federick

Arua City

Authorities in Arua City are monitoring the entry of hundreds of Congolese nationals into Uganda following an escalating land conflict between rival clans in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A situation report dated September 3, 2026, indicates that an estimated 400 to 500 Congolese nationals crossed into Uganda through porous border points between Visavi and Lia Customs.

The influx follows an ongoing land dispute between rival clans in Anyori Gale Village, Ariwara Parish, Nyori Sub-county, in Aru Territory, Ituri Province, approximately three kilometers from the Uganda-DRC border.

Marlon Avutia, the Mayor of Ayivu Division and chairperson of the division’s Security Committee, says a team of experts has been dispatched to establish the exact number of arrivals, determine the circumstances surrounding their entry and assess the risk of Ebola transmission.

“It is true, following an inter-clan clash between the Nyori and Nyoro clans in DRC, about three kilometres from the Uganda-Congo border, over a piece of land which is said to have been sold by one of their leaders. One clan, called Nyoro, fled to Uganda. We received over 300 of them with their properties, ranging from animals to household items, among others. The greatest fear was that their leader had died, but we later learned that he did not die and is in hospital,” Avutia explained.

Security authorities are concerned that the movement of such a large number of people through informal border routes could complicate efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola, particularly if the new arrivals do not undergo the recommended health screening and prevention procedures.

Avutia says the situation is further complicated by the absence of a gazzetted settlement for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants within Arua City.

As a result, the Congolese arrivals are currently being accommodated by Ugandan families, particularly members of the Lugbara community who share cultural ties with the affected Congolese communities.

“The communities in Uganda, being Lugbara by tribe and because of the cultural ties, decided to accommodate these people, provide food, shelter and other necessities. Therefore, they are not in camps. Why we have decided to carry out testing and registration is to ascertain their exact number and establish whether they will need accommodation so that they can be placed in a camp for easy management,” Avutia said.

Betty Akello Otekat, the chairperson of the Arua City Ebola Task Force, said efforts were underway to strengthen coordination with authorities in the DRC.

Otekat, who was travelling to Kampala by press time, said the relevant authorities were working to restore normalcy and strengthen measures to manage the cross-border movement.

The latest influx comes amid continuing humanitarian and security challenges in eastern DRC, where localized conflicts have repeatedly triggered population displacement into neighboring countries.

Ugandan authorities are expected to continue monitoring the border crossings, register the new arrivals and conduct health screening as efforts intensify to prevent the potential spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis