Work has begun on a Ugandan plan to build 223km of roads in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to improve trade between the two countries.

The $330m “Regional Connectivity Roads Project” will be carried out by a Ugandan construction company called Dott Services. The Kampala-based company is an infrastructure specialist that has carried out schemes in Egypt, Kuwait, Tanzania, France and the UK.

The aim is to build three roads to improve communications between Uganda and the eastern DRC cities of Beni, Goma and Butembo, Reuters reports. Each government will contribute 20% of the cost, and the remainder will be raised  by Dott.

Altogether, Uganda and the DRC plan to build or upgrade some 1,182km of road. The priorities will be an 80km highway between Mpondwe in Uganda and Beni, an 89km route between Bunagana and Goma and a 54km road between Beni and Butembo. A ceremony was held in Mpondwe in June to inaugurate the project.

The project was agreed in November 2019, during a state visit to Uganda by DRC president Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.