According to foreign media reports, the Democratic Republic of Congo has formally endorsed a public-private partnership with Portuguese construction group Mota-Engil to rehabilitate its strategic national railway network. The infrastructure project focuses on renovating the dilapidated rail section passing through key Central African mining hubs, including Kolwezi, Tenke, and Lubumbashi, linking them directly across the border to Angola’s Port of Lobito on the Atlantic coast.
The agreement forms a critical leg of the US-backed Lobito Corridor initiative, designed to shorten transit times and lower freight costs for essential energy-transition minerals exported to Western markets. Negotiating a long-term operating concession of up to 30 years, Mota-Engil in partnership with global trading firm Trafigura aims to establish seamless cross-border freight operations. The rail upgrade is positioned to reduce logistical bottlenecks across the Copperbelt, supporting the expansion of regional mining production while advancing diplomatic efforts to build resilient, Western-aligned mineral supply chains.
