The Democratic Republic of Congo has appointed a new ambassador to Uganda, ending diplomatic vacancy at its mission in Kampala, at a time when both countries are pushing to deepen trade, security and infrastructure cooperation.
Ambassador Fidèle Mulaja Binene arrived at Entebbe International Airport on September 13, 2026, following a presidential decree in Kinshasa. The development restores full diplomatic representation between the two neighbours.
The move comes just months after Uganda accredited its own envoy to Kinshasa, Ambassador Kaliisa Farid, bringing both missions back to ambassadorial level after a prolonged period of operating through chargés d'affaires.
During that period, consular and trade disputes, including visa fees charged on Ugandans entering DRC while Congolese nationals entered Uganda visa-free, detention cases, and delays in resolving cross-border business complaints, lacked a direct high-level channel.
Ambassador Mulaja is a career diplomat with experience in regional affairs and Great Lakes diplomacy, and his posting to Kampala is seen as a strategic choice by Kinshasa.
Uganda is now DRC's key gateway to the East African coast, while DRC has become Uganda's largest export market in Africa.
According to Bank of Uganda data, formal exports to DRC reached $542.74 million in FY 2024/2025, up 29 percent year-on-year, with total trade including informal flows estimated at $962.2 million. Key exports include sugar, cement, iron and steel products, plastics, beverages and agricultural commodities.
The new envoy arrives at a time of intensified bilateral engagement. In May 2026, the two countries held the 9th Session of the Uganda-DRC Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) in Kampala under the theme "Scaling Shared Prosperity: Trade Infrastructure and Security for Enhanced Bilateral Relations, Regional Stability and Socioeconomic Transformation."
In May, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni and his DRC counterpart Félix Tshisekedi also held talks in Uganda focusing on security, trade, infrastructure and petroleum cooperation, including peace and stability along the common border in North Kivu and Ituri. The two leaders also reviewed progress on major road projects intended to facilitate trade and regional integration.
Ambassador Mulaja’s posting therefore comes at a strategically important moment for Uganda-DRC relations, particularly as both governments seek to translate high-level commitments into practical cooperation benefiting communities and businesses along their shared border.
On security, Ambassador Mulaja will take over a portfolio that includes ongoing joint UPDF-FARDC operations against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern Congo and broader coordination under the East African Community and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. Both countries have stressed that stable security in eastern DRC is directly linked to trade expansion and the safety of traders.
The appointment also forms part of DRC's wider recalibration of its regional diplomacy. After tensions with several EAC members over the conflict in eastern Congo, Kinshasa has moved to normalize representation accross the region, seeking to rebuild trust and ensure economic cooperation is not held hostage to security disagreements.
