Partager les articlesLa Coordinatrice spéciale par intérim du Partenariat pour l’investissement dans les infrastructures mondiales (Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment ou PGI) va passer sept (7) jours en République démocratique du Congo (RDC) et dans la République voisine de...
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COMINIERE-operated Manono Lithium Mega Project and Lobito Corridor: US willing to collaborate with DRC to advance these crucial projects
August 25, 2024
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The Acting Special Coordinator of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) will spend seven (7) days in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the neighboring Republic of Tanzania. Announcement made on August 21 by the Office of the Spokesperson of the Department of State of the United States of America in a press release, a copy of which was sent to Géopolis Hebdo.
Indeed, Ms. Helaina Matza, Acting Special Coordinator of the Global Infrastructure Investment Partnership, is visiting the DRC and Tanzania from August 21 to 28, 2024 to advance ongoing U.S.-led investments in the development of the Lobito and Trans-African Corridors, as well as to explore opportunities to extend the Economic Corridor to the Indian Ocean.
According to our source, "during her stay in the DRC and Tanzania, Acting Special Coordinator Matza will also meet with government officials (including the Directors General of State portfolio companies) and private sector partners to identify new investment opportunities in sustainable infrastructure and deepen our (this) collaboration."
They say that where credit is due, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Communication Channels and Disenclavement of the DRC, Mr. Jean-Pierre Bemba, chaired a meeting of capital importance at the Government House in the morning on August 22, 2024.
Surrounded by his colleagues, Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works, Alexis Gisaro Muvunyi, and Minister of Portfolio, Jean Lucien Bussa Tongba, as well as representatives of the Ministries of Finance, Planning and Justice, he discussed the development and revival of the Lobito Corridor with a high-level delegation from the American government.
Led by the Acting Special Coordinator of the United States PGI, and accompanied by the American Ambassador to Kinshasa, Ms. Lucy Tamlyn, the delegation highlighted the strategic importance of this rail corridor which crosses Zambia, Angola, and the DRC.
Discussions focused on joint projects aimed not only at revitalizing this infrastructure, but also at exploring opportunities in the mining and energy sectors. Ms. Helaina Matza, PGI representative, expressed the commitment of the United States to work with the DRC to advance this critical project.
"We are not only here to discuss the railway, but also to look at how mining and energy projects can be integrated into this development," she said.
The Coordinator of the Support and Monitoring Unit for Transport Corridor Programs and Activities, Mr. Roger Te-Biasu, added that the Congolese Government is called upon to submit flagship projects on which the United States could mobilize funding and establish strategic partnerships.
The Lobito Corridor, a vestige of the colonial era, is a key route for the export of Congolese minerals. While significant progress has been made in Zambia and Angola, the revival of this infrastructure in the DRC is now a priority to strengthen the country's economy.
Then, a series of other meetings will take place. Also during her brief stay in Kinshasa, capital of the DRC, Ms. Helaina Matza was able to meet the General Manager of Congolaise d'exploitation minière (COMINIERE SA), Mr. Célestin Kibeya Kabemba, in his office located on Uvira Avenue. With the distinguished guest of the Republic, the DG Célestin Kibeya Kabemba discussed with the Representative of Washington the mega Lithium project of Manono, located in the province of Tanganyika, in the South-East of the DRC.
At the end of this fruitful exchange, the Special Presidential Coordinator of the Partnership for Infrastructure and Global Investment received appropriate answers on what is currently happening in Manono, on the guarantee of security and the opening of shares to other foreign direct investors.
Mrs. Helaina Matza, Representative of the PGI, expressed the interest of the United States of America in the Manono Lithium deposit and the CEO of COMINIERE SA gave assurances to the Head of the American delegation on the availability of the necessary concession within the framework of the Lobito Corridor.
Ms. Helaina Matza, PGI representative, expressed the commitment of the United States of America to work with the DRC to advance this and other critical projects in the 3Ts [Tin (cassiterite), tungsten (wolframite) and tantalum (coltan) are minerals collectively referred to under this term].
After the DRC, the former member of the White House National Security Council, at the US State Department, Ms. Helaina Matza went to Tanzania to continue her journey.
