Rwanda closes border to Congo travelers, triggering food shortages in eastern DRC

Rwanda has announced it will refuse entry to all foreign nationals who have traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past month, a measure already affecting traders in Bukavu, South Kivu province. The border closure is creating immediate supply shortages in eastern Congo as cross-border commerce freezes. The measure reflects escalating tensions between the two countries and their traders, with potential humanitarian consequences for civilians dependent on cross-border food and goods flows. The policy threatens to deepen economic hardship in a region already destabilized by armed conflict and poverty.