Uganda, DRC Move Toward Joint Oil Exploration in Albertine Border Region

ENTEBBE — Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have announced plans to jointly explore oil resources in the Albertine Graben along their common border, signalling a major expansion of economic and strategic cooperation between the two neighbours.

The development emerged during talks between President Yoweri Museveni and DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi at State House Entebbe on Monday, ahead of Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Congolese Trade Minister Julien Paluku described the summit as “the dawn of a new era in the Great Lakes,” saying the two countries had agreed to deepen cooperation in energy, infrastructure, security and trade.

Among the key outcomes highlighted by Kinshasa was the “joint exploitation of oil in the Albertine Graben,” a vast petroleum-rich basin stretching along the Uganda-DRC border that has long been viewed as one of East Africa’s most strategic energy zones.

The oil cooperation plan comes as Uganda advances commercial oil production preparations under the Tilenga and Kingfisher projects and construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), while Congo seeks to unlock its own untapped petroleum reserves in the Lake Albert region.

Museveni said he held “productive discussions on security, trade, infrastructure and petroleum cooperation” with Tshisekedi, including peace and stability efforts in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

The Ugandan leader also said both sides reviewed progress on key road projects aimed at boosting regional integration and trade, adding that African governments “should not frustrate wananchi with unnecessary barriers to trade and movement.”

The two leaders met in Entebbe

The two countries additionally pledged to strengthen border security cooperation through the continued implementation of Operation Shujaa, the joint military offensive targeting armed groups operating in eastern Congo.

Officials said six memorandums of understanding were signed covering bilateral trade promotion, tourism, ICT cooperation, export promotion partnerships, search and rescue coordination, and cross-border development initiatives.

The two governments also committed to accelerating construction of one-stop border posts and modern cross-border markets in Kasindi, Bunagana and Mahagi to facilitate commerce and movement of people.

The agreements followed the 9th Session of the Uganda-DRC Joint Permanent Commission held in Kampala from May 8 to 10 under the theme of accelerating shared prosperity through trade, infrastructure and security cooperation.

Paluku said the summit reflected a broader geopolitical shift in the Great Lakes region, with Kampala and Kinshasa seeking to build what he called “a diplomacy of proximity rooted in mutual trust” aimed at creating “a strong, connected and prosperous Central and Eastern Africa.”