The Government of Uganda through the Uganda Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives officially launched the Uganda – DRC Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands Programme aiming to transform cross-border trade into a pathway for peace and economic growth.

With support from the EU Delegation in Uganda and implementation partnerships with Trademark Africa and International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the programme seeks to promote regional integration, empower small-scale traders, and ensure the free movement of people and goods between the two countries regardless of war and conflict ongoing.

Hon. Francis Mwebesa, Minister of Trade, emphasized the importance of infrastructure development and empowering women as key agents in fostering safe, legal border trade. “Regional integration is the backbone of economic transformation,” he noted. He also called for investment in border management systems and collaborative policies to ensure sustainability.

Trademark Africa’s Country Director, Anna Nambooze highlighted the market opportunity—over 300 million people in the region—and reaffirmed the organization’s focus on building peace resilience and supporting grassroots traders. Meanwhile, the EU Delegation representative underscored the urgency, pointing to 6.9 million displaced people in the Great Lakes region and the need to address illegal trade, human security, and social inclusion.

The IOM Chief of Mission in Uganda, Sanusi Tejan Savage reaffirmed its role in safeguarding the movement of people across borders, referencing the June 15 milestone of the first programme launch in the DRC. From the panel discussion, public-private partnerships and stronger cross-border community support were emphasized, especially by the Uganda Revenue Authority, which cited revenue losses from illicit trade.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade Ms. Lynette Bagonza emphasized that the programme aligns with the Ministry’s strategic goals: to remove non-tariff barriers, diversify exports, build institutional capacity, and promote value addition. Stakeholders called for joint efforts involving DRC officials, fair visa policies, and multilingual engagement to ensure small traders, particularly women, are not left behind.