Congo-Kinshasa: DRC Sees Lobito Corridor As Tool for Economic Sovereignty

What the report says

President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said in Kinshasa on Wednesday that the Lobito Corridor should become a tool for economic sovereignty and broader African integration. His remarks came during a joint press conference with Angolan President João Lourenço after the two leaders witnessed the signing of a railway concession agreement for the corridor’s development in the DRC, according to AllAfrica’s report based on Angola Press Agency coverage.

The agreement covers the Dilolo-Sakania railway line, which is described as a key part of the Congolese section of the strategic transport route. The line runs about 1,004.5 kilometres and is intended to connect important mining, industrial and agricultural areas, including Kolwezi, Tenke and Lubumbashi. The report says the project could mobilize nearly US$1.258 billion for feasibility studies, rehabilitation, modernization, extension, operation and maintenance.

Tshisekedi presented the signing as an opening step rather than a final result, saying the focus now should be on turning commitments into infrastructure and results. The contract provides for a 30-year operating period, after which the infrastructure would revert to the Congolese state under the agreement’s terms.

He also sought to reassure observers that the deal does not privatize the National Railways Company of the Congo (SNCC) or create a monopoly. Under the reported terms, the line would remain open to qualified operators, while SNCC would keep exclusive passenger rights and retain its freight transport role. The development is significant because the corridor is being promoted as a regional trade and connectivity project with potential economic impact for the DRC and its neighbors.