By MONITOR

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Business at the Uganda-DR Congo border of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha are at a standstill following a strike by Congolese businessmen over insecurity.

The strike has affected cross-border trade in the area.

The Congolese traders accuse rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) of attacks and killing of civilians in DR Congo.

The Congolese traders in eastern DRC in the town of Kasindi, which borders Mpondwe, also closed their shops in solidarity with fellow Congolese in Beni, northeastern Congo, who are protesting against the “UN failure to protect” them against rebel attacks.

Most of these traders buy Ugandan goods but they have not crossed the border into Uganda since Saturday in protest over the attacks.

On Sunday, DR Congo army spokesperson Richard Kasonga announced that they had killed a top ADF rebel commander, Mouhamed Islam Mukubwa, in North Kivu, Beni region.

Mr Mathias Gillmann, the spokesperson of United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco), told Daily Monitor on Tuesday that the situation was calm following violent demonstrations on Monday.

He said the talks were still ongoing with the military leadership of the DRC and “we remain to support as much as possible within our mandate given to us by the [UN] Security Council.”

Ugandan trader Franco Richard said they fear crossing the border into Butembo because of the rebel attacks.

At least 27 people were killed by the rebels on Wednesday last week in Beni, bringing the number of deaths to 107 since November 5.