The Goma-Gisenyi border crossing, linking the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Goma to Rwanda’s Gisenyi, has begun a phased reopening following more than a week without new active cases of Ebola virus disease in the area, local authorities confirmed.

Initially, the measure targets specific traveler categories: individuals traveling to Gisenyi for banking transactions, humanitarian workers moving to Goma or continuing to Kigali for international flights, and those with urgent reasons subject to immigration approval.

The partial resumption of cross-border movement has been welcomed by communities on both sides of the border, where trade had plummeted due to health restrictions aimed at curbing the disease’s spread. Transborder traffic, vital for local economies, had been severely disrupted, impacting daily commutes and commercial activities between Goma and Gisenyi.

Health authorities continue active epidemiological surveillance, contact tracing, and community awareness campaigns to prevent any resurgence of the deadly disease.

The temporary border closure had been in effect since the morning of Sunday, May 17. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Ministry of Health reports closely monitoring the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC and confirms no cases have been detected on Rwandan soil to date.