
Government said Tuesday it has committed to financing projects to surface over 200 kilometers of road in neighboring Congo as a way of boosting trade between the countries.
This will add up to 20% of Uganda’s contribution to the project, while the remaining 80% will be footed by the Congo Government, Works and Transport Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala said.
Such an arrangement is unheard of in a region where governments struggle to expand road networks within their borders.
“There is always a first time for everything,” Wamala said. “This is a joint project between the two countries and there is a very good reason for that.”
Uganda’s decision to cooperate with Congo comes amid a standoff with neighboring Rwanda, once a major export destination for grains and other produce.