After the death of a Kenyan driver and the temporary abduction of six drivers, the Kenyan LoDCA Association calls on carriers to suspend non-essential movements on an axis between Mahagi and Kisangani. Repeated attacks threaten the safety of drivers and the continuity of freight flows to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The increasing number of attacks against road hauliers in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has prompted professional organizations to call for security measures.

In an alert published on 14 October 2026, the Kenyan Association of Long Distance Drivers and Conveyors (Long-Distance Drivers and Drivers Association of Kenya, LoDCA) recommended the suspension of non-essential routes on the Mahagi-Pimbo-Djujuu-Bunia-Kisangani corridor.

This axis is used by Kenyan carriers to transport goods east of the country. In particular, the association reported the death of a driver, while calling on companies to put the safety of their teams ahead of business imperatives.

The alert follows an ambush in which six Kenyans were among twelve persons presented as being captured by rebel groups. Their trucks were reportedly damaged, with broken windows, deflated tires and removed license plates.

LoDCA then indicated that the six drivers had been found safe, without specifying the circumstances of their capture or their release.

The association asked drivers already present in the areas concerned to join safe places, to keep in touch with their fleet managers and to follow the instructions of the local authorities and security services.

These incidents are part of a series of attacks that affect transport operations in the DRC. In April, Kenyan driver Edwin Njuguna was killed in Bunia after a breakdown of his truck, according to reports at the time.

In August, four Kenyan drivers and their conveyors were also reportedly killed in an attack on the Beni-Kisangani axis. Such violence, coupled with extortion, ransom demands, poor road conditions and prolonged delays, undermine the conditions for the delivery of goods.

In March, a strike by foreign drivers following the death of a colleague had inter alia detained more than 200 tankers at the customs post in Anzida, near Mahagi, disrupting Bunia's fuel supply.

LoDCA calls on Kenyan and Congolese governments, security services, transport regulators and regional trade organizations to strengthen cross-border coordination and information sharing.

The association states that it cannot itself impose the cessation of operations, which is the responsibility of the transport undertakings and the operators concerned.