U.S. Commits Support for DRC’s Lobito Corridor to Boost Regional Integration and Economic Growth
During the 2nd edition of the DRC Battery Metals Forum, U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lucy Tamly, reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting the Lobito Corridor project.
This initiative is designed to enhance regional integration, create jobs, and boost global trade, particularly in agriculture, digital, and clean energy sectors.
“We are focused on ways to assist the DRC in advancing the Lobito Corridor. This project is part of our global infrastructure and investment program aimed at improving regional connectivity—from mine to port—by linking the DRC to markets in Durban and Dar es Salaam.
By reducing transport times, we can increase the economic value of all sectors, including agriculture,” Tamly said. She also noted that DRC’s mining sector will play a key role in transforming the global energy landscape.
The U.S. Embassy highlighted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2023 between six partners: the DRC, Angola, Zambia, the World Bank, the European Union, and Italy.
The U.S. has committed $250 million to finance railway operations from Angola to the port of Lobito, with expectations of significant economic dividends along the corridor.
The Lobito Corridor project seeks to connect southern DRC and northwestern Zambia to global trade routes via the Lobito port in Angola.
To fully benefit from this project, Ambassador Tamly emphasized that the DRC must continue improving governance, increasing transparency, and enhancing the business climate.
Additionally, the U.S. is collaborating with the DRC Battery Council and has initiatives to combat child labor in mining operations.
The DRC Africa Battery Forum, held from September 17 to 18, 2024, at the Fleuve Congo Hotel, focuses on building a sustainable ecosystem for battery metals in the DRC.
