Zambia, DRC, and Angola Commit to Lobito Corridor Project

On Tuesday, Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), agreed to expand mineral exports and foster regional economic integration via the Lobito Corridor.

According to official statements, the three countries agreed in the Angolan city of Lobito to make optimal use of Angola's Lobito Corridor to facilitate the export of minerals coming from the mineral-rich Copperbelt province of Zambia and the Greater Katanga region of the DRC.

Official reports say the three countries have agreed on the transfer of the concession of railway services and support logistics of the Lobito Corridor to Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), the company that will take over the operation, management and maintenance of the rail infrastructure for the transport of goods for the corridor.

To start the concession, LAR has an estimated investment of $455 million  in Angola and up to $100 million in the DRC.

The concession contract can be extended up to 50 years if the consortium opts to build the branch line between Luacano (Moxico) and Jimbe (Zambia), with a total length of 259 kilometers, valued at 3.6 million dollars per km.

Speaking during the official handover ceremony on Tuesday, President Hakainde Hichilema expressed the importance the people of Zambia placed in the development of the Lobito Corridor, describing it as “important to out people, our countries; Angola, DRC, and Zambia”. He went on to acknowledge “the tremendous progress that has been made in this space of time”.

The Lobito Corridor has a set of rail, port, airport, and road infrastructures that connect the coastal Lobito city to the DRC and Zambia, which could play an important role not only in economic growth in the respective countries, but also in regional economic integration.