DRC's North Kivu province awaits repairs to collapsed bridge

In eastern DRC queues of vehicles on either side of the Lume bridge are still awaiting for traffic to reopen following its collapse last Saturday.

The bridge connecting the North Kivu province to other East African countries collapsed after a heavy goods vehicle passed over it heading towards the town of Beni.

A local driver is asking the authorities to prioritise building a bypass bridge for small trucks and motorbikes.

"This bridge collapsed when I was still on the Kasindi side. I am stuck here and don't know how to get home. Several passengers are also stuck here. We have goods that we don't know how to get to Beni. If we have products that are fragile in the water, we risk destroying them by forcing them to cross. The government should consider  putting in place a bypass for us to cross", said local car driver Lemba.

The traffic interruption also affects military operations carried out by the Congolese and Ugandan armed forces against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels active in the Beni region.

"It may take us two, three or four days. It will be done quickly, for the small vehicles. But for the big trucks it will not be easy with the tanks, the trailers, it will be very complicated. But the works have already started", announced Lt Col Mak Hazukay, Spokesperson for FARDC-UPDF operations.

DRC's North Kivu province is largely dependent on products from East Africa entering the country through Uganda.