Congolese people walk near the gate barriers at the border crossing point with Rwanda following its closure over Ebola threat in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Djaffer Sabiti
KIGALI (Reuters) – Rwanda’s health minister said the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo remained open on Thursday, appearing to contradict an earlier statement that the frontier was closed near the Ebola-hit Congolese city of Goma.
“The border was never closed and it is not closed,” Diane Gashumba told reporters as she sat next to the state minister of foreign affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, who earlier said it was shut.
Slowdowns in traffic at the border had been caused by increased screening for Ebola not a shutdown, Gashumba said.
Reporting by Clement Uwingiriyimana; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Andrew Heavens