Rwanda closes Goma border crossing following Ebola emergency

The border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, around Goma and Gisenyi, has been closed since Sunday morning, according to several eyewitness accounts collected on the ground.

So far, no official statement has been issued either by the Rwandan government or by the M23 rebels, who have controlled Goma since last year.

An IT services officer in Goma, contacted this morning by MediaCongo, confirmed the closure, stating: “Rwanda has no longer been allowing entry into its territory since this morning. Movement in both directions is blocked.”

This closure comes amid heightened regional health alert, following the World Health Organization’s decision to classify the Ebola outbreak in Bundibugyo, in the DRC and Uganda, as a global public health emergency.

Several observers believe this is a preventive measure aimed at limiting the spread of the Ebola virus, as the daily movements between Goma and Gisenyi are among the busiest cross-border flows in the Great Lakes region.