DR Congo: Lobito Corridor ‘Offers Path to Economic Sovereignty’
Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has called for the Lobito Corridor to be transformed into a tool for economic sovereignty. Speaking during the signing ceremony of the railway concession agreement for the development of the Corridor in the DR Congo, along with his Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço, Tshisekedi stressed the need to make the Corridor a “concrete instrument of African integration, economic sovereignty and lasting improvement in the living conditions of our populations”.
The more than 1,000-kilometer rail and logistics project connects the Port of Lobito on Angola’s Atlantic coast to the mineral-rich “Copperbelt” regions and Zambia. The project is expected to mobilise an indicative investment of nearly US$1.258 billion.
“We must now move from intentions to achievements, from agreements to infrastructure, and from commitments to results,” Tshisekedi said.
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As Angola hosts the 7th African Union-European Union Summit, one of the flagship projects presented as proof of renewed partnership is the Lobito Corridor. Over the past year, Washington, Brussels, and several media outlets have portrayed the corridor as a strategic Western response to China’s expanding influence in Africa–a seductive narrative suggesting a geopolitical comeback, writes Rafael Marques de Morais for
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![The Lobito Atlantic Railway will provide a quicker western route to market for metal and minerals produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).]()
In a significant diplomatic and economic engagement, President Joe Biden will visit the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) at the Port of Lobito, Angola, to witness the transportation of copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) destined for New Orleans, United States.
The concession has demonstrated efficiency, sustainability, and
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The consortium of companies constructing the Lobito Corridor, a railway project that stretches from the port of Lobito in Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Zambia, has taken delivery of the first batch of 275 container wagons intended to help strengthen the transport capacity of the project.
The Lobito Corridor was launched in 2023 under the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which is supported by the United States and the European Union. When
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![The Lobito corridor, which connects the Angolan coastline to rich agricultural production zones & the DR Congo and Zambia, is critical to unleashing a diversified economy for Angola and its neighbors, according to the World Bank.]()
The U.S. government is ready to develop a crucial railway project that runs from Angola to the Indian Ocean – going through Tanzania. When completed, the railway – known as the Lobito Corridor – will connect several African countries to global markets, and “enhance regional trade and economic growth”.
The most recent trip to the region by U.S. acting Special Coordinator for Partnership on Global Infrastructure and Investment, Helaina Matza, was intended to examine the next steps
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U.S.Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his four-nation Africa tour in Angola on January 26 with a focus on the Lobito Corridor, where he said the Biden-Harris administration is investing heavily. The trip, which included stops in Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, was dominated by security concerns, particularly in the Sahel and coastal West Africa.
Following talks with Angolan President Joao Lourenco, he said they discussed “concrete ways” to achieve “a
President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi received his Angolan counterpart, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, on August 26, 2026, at the African Union City.
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