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🇨🇩 DR Congo /Energy & Infrastructure

DRC and Angola sign railway concession deal for Lobito Corridor

From Radio Okapi · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola signed a railway concession contract for the Dilolo-Sakania section, a key part of the Lobito Corridor.
  • The deal with Mota-Engil aims to modernize over 1,000 km of railway, connecting Kolwezi to the Angolan port of Lobito for an investment of $1.258 billion.
  • Presidents Tshisekedi and Lourenço emphasized the project's potential to transform the Congolese economy beyond raw material export into a hub for production and value creation.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola have solidified a significant infrastructure agreement with the signing of a railway concession contract for the Dilolo-Sakania section. Presidents Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi of the DRC and João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola witnessed the ceremony in Kinshasa, marking a crucial step for the Lobito Corridor.

The contract, concluded between the DRC and the company Mota-Engil, involves the modernization of a railway line stretching over 1,000 kilometers. This ambitious project is valued at $1.258 billion and will directly link mining centers like Kolwezi, Tenke, and Lubumbashi to the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean.

Under the terms of the agreement, the DRC will hold a 10% stake in the concession and will receive a 7.5% royalty on gross revenue. The National Railway Company of Congo (SNCC) will maintain exclusive rights for passenger transport and retain its freight rights. Importantly, the entirety of the renovated infrastructure will be transferred back to the Congolese state upon the contract's expiration.

Our ambition is not to build a simple corridor for the evacuation of raw materials. We want to build a corridor for production, for transformation, and for value creation.

— Félix-Antoine TshisekediDescribing the economic vision behind the Lobito Corridor project.

During a joint press conference, President Tshisekedi highlighted the transformative potential of the Lobito Corridor for the Congolese economy. "Our ambition is not to build a simple corridor for the evacuation of raw materials. We want to build a corridor for production, for transformation, and for value creation," he stated. He acknowledged the operational challenges at the Dilolo-Luau border, emphasizing that the signing represents a beginning rather than an end, marking the start of a shared responsibility.

President Lourenço arrived in Kinshasa earlier for a working visit. The two leaders also engaged in discussions on bilateral cooperation, regional security, and joint projects in the hydrocarbon and electricity sectors.

The signing that took place today is not an end point. It marks the beginning of a shared responsibility.

— Félix-Antoine TshisekediAcknowledging the ongoing work and shared commitment required after the contract signing.
About this summary

Originally published by Radio Okapi in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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