Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have launched a collaborative effort to repair the railway line that connects Congolese mining districts to the Atlantic Ocean.
Earlier this week, “Luanda and Kinshasa granted a group of investors a 30-year concession to operate the line linking the Angolan port of Lobito to Kolwezi, in the heart of the DRC’s mineral-producing region.”
British investors constructed the 1,700 kilometre railway line 100 years ago.
The $555 million project, which is partially funded by the United States, is anticipated to enhance regional trade and deepen Angola’s ties with Western countries.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and Africa’s leading producer of copper, both of which are used in the production of solar panels and electric vehicles.
Work should begin within the next three months, according to the Angolan operator, Vecturis.
Over the next five years, the partnership, which includes commodities trader Trafigura and Portuguese construction company Mota-Engil, intends to decrease the journey time between the DRC and Lobito to less than 36 hours by operating at least six trains every day.
