NEWSECONOMY
The United States invests US$250 million in the Lobito railway line, Angola/DR Congo/Zambia
May 23, 2023
Kiki Kienge
By Kiki Kienge
Announced by US President Joe Biden during his G7 meeting in Japan with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, the United States plans to invest nearly US$250 million in the development of the Lobito rail corridor linking Angola to DRC and Zambia.
A press release from the White House of May 22, 2023, announces;
“The Lobito project is the first step to connect and develop trade and economic activity from Angola to the DRC. PGII is actively seeking other opportunities to connect initial Lobito Corridor investments across the continent, to Tanzania and ultimately to the Indian Ocean. »
The Lobito-Benguela railway will be used in particular for the export of minerals from the DR Congo and Zambia, such as copper, cobalt, soon lithium from Manono and other minerals.
US President Joe Biden said regarding the Lobito project:
“The railway line would stretch from the western coasts of Angola to the border of the DRC and Zambia, with the aim of eventually reaching the Indian Ocean, linking the continent from east to west to the first time. »
On the side of the DR Congo whose customs which connects the two countries, is at the border in the city of Dilolo in the DRC and Luau in Angola, an obvious economic advantage for the DRC: a shorter evacuation of Congolese goods, less costs compared to other means of transport such as to Tanzania, Kenya or Namibia.
In terms of the achievement of offenders, the DR Congo seems to be behind despite some docile movements at the Dilolo border under the regime of Joseph Kabila and at the start of the mandate of Félix Tshisekedi, compared to Angola which has already invested more than 333 million $US in the project.
Kinshasa should also benefit from the Lobito project, via the western corridor linking the DRC to Angola via Kikwit via Kahemba to end in Luanda.
Will the SNCC, the national Congolese railway company in serious difficulty, be able to follow in the footsteps of Angola and Zambia?