 The lagoon is separated from the main channel of the Luapula by 6 km of swamps.Although the Luapula swamps are generally 30 to 40 km wide for most of their 100 km length, at the nearest point to Mofwe, the Luapula's western bank is formed by an island in the DR Congo only 12 km from Kanyembo.This facilates trade and smuggling by canoe through the channels and lagoons of the swamps.