La République démocratique du Congo et l’Égypte veulent structurer davantage leur coopération dans le développement urbain et la gestion des villes. Lors de la visite officielle du président Félix Tshisekedi au Caire, le 10 juin 2026, les deux pays ont signé un mémorandum d’entente portant sur ce secteur.

Cet accord figure parmi les quatre textes conclus à l’issue des entretiens entre Félix Tshisekedi et son homologue égyptien Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi. Les deux chefs d’État ont cité le développement urbain parmi les domaines appelés à bénéficier d’un renforcement de la coopération bilatérale, aux côtés des transports, de l’environnement, de la santé, du tourisme, des investissements et des infrastructures.

Ce rapprochement intervient alors que la RDC cherche à accélérer plusieurs projets d’aménagement du territoire et d’extension urbaine, dans un contexte de forte croissance démographique et de pression accrue sur les grandes agglomérations.

En prélude à la visite officielle du président congolais en Égypte, le Comité stratégique pour la supervision du projet d’extension de la ville de Kinshasa a signé, le 9 juin au Caire, deux protocoles d’accord avec Arab Contractors, l’un des grands groupes égyptiens du secteur des infrastructures.

Le premier protocole porte sur la construction d’un musée national des Renaissances. L’infrastructure est présentée comme un équipement culturel destiné à valoriser l’histoire, l’identité et le patrimoine de la République démocratique du Congo. L’accord associe Arab Contractors, le Musée national de Kinshasa et le comité chargé du projet d’extension de la capitale.

Mobilité fluviale

Le second protocole concerne un projet de mobilité fluviale urbaine entre le centre-ville de Kinshasa et Maluku, appelée à accueillir l’extension urbaine de la capitale. Il prévoit notamment la construction d’un chantier naval moderne, l’aménagement de quais d’embarquement et de débarquement, ainsi que la construction et la fourniture de bus fluviaux.

L’objectif est de créer une liaison rapide et durable entre Kinshasa et la future zone urbaine de Kinshasa Kia Mona. Pour les porteurs du projet, cette composante est stratégique, car la réussite de l’extension dépendra aussi de sa connexion avec le centre actuel de la capitale.

L’intérêt égyptien pour les projets urbains congolais ne se limite pas à Kinshasa. En juillet 2025, le gouvernement provincial du Tanganyika avait signé un mémorandum d’entente avec Elahramat Engineering, une entreprise égyptienne rattachée au groupe Mahmoud Samih Holding.

Projets à cadrer

L’accord visait à formaliser l’intention des deux parties d’établir un partenariat pour des projets d’infrastructures dans la province, dont la construction d’une ville nouvelle à Kalemie. Ce projet est présenté comme une réponse aux contraintes d’urbanisation et aux risques récurrents d’inondation dans le chef-lieu du Tanganyika.

Ces différentes signatures ne constituent toutefois pas encore des contrats définitifs de travaux. Aucun montant global, calendrier d’exécution ni schéma de financement n’a été communiqué à ce stade pour les projets évoqués. Il s’agit plutôt d’étapes de cadrage, de mobilisation de partenaires et de structuration de futures interventions.

Arab Contractors n’est pas un acteur inconnu en RDC. Le groupe égyptien a déjà participé à des projets d’infrastructures dans le pays, notamment sur des axes routiers dans l’espace kasaïen, dont l’axe Kamwesha-Kananga.

De son côté, le groupe Mahmoud Samih Holding est présenté par les autorités locales du Tanganyika comme un acteur ayant contribué à certains volets de la nouvelle capitale administrative d’Égypte, mégaprojet emblématique de la politique égyptienne de création de nouveaux centres urbains.

Pour Kinshasa, cette coopération pourrait offrir un accès à une expertise égyptienne dans la planification urbaine, les infrastructures et les villes nouvelles. Mais sa portée réelle dépendra de la transformation de ces protocoles d’accord en projets financés, contractualisés et exécutés.

Boaz Kabeya

Lire aussi :

Extension de Kinshasa : début des travaux prévu au 1er trimestre 2026

Ville nouvelle de Kalemie : l’égyptien Mahmoud Samih manifeste son intérêt pour le projet

In this exclusive interview with the Ecofin Agency on the sidelines of the inaugural Africa Development Impact Forum (ADIF) in Addis Ababa, Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, argues that Africa is not short of ideas, money or talent to scale up job creation — it is short of the connections between them. He makes the case that the continent's start-ups and SMEs must no longer remain small, but grow to a higher, regional and ultimately global level, through partnerships, regional value chains and a full-cycle ecosystem that turns research into bankable, job-creating industries — from electric-vehicle batteries between the DRC and Zambia to agri-food processing in Southern Africa.

Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of UNECA

Ecofin Agency: Beyond the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, which lever would you actually pull to make sure the models and knowledge sharing showcased at the first edition of the Africa Development Impact Forum get replicated, so that other countries or regions take it from here and build on it?

Claver Gatete: The Economic Commission for Africa is one of the five regional commissions established globally by the United Nations to support the African continent. ECA itself was established in 1958, and since then it has worked across the continent — and it does not work alone. It works with all stakeholders: the African Union Commission, as well as all the agencies of the African Union. ECA also contributed to establishing several of those agencies, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and others.

In development, you cannot work alone. That is why partnerships are essential — with African Union agencies, with Afreximbank, with other development finance institutions, and with the private sector

In development, you cannot work alone. That is why partnerships are essential — with African Union agencies, with Afreximbank, with other development finance institutions, and with the private sector. Our work goes to the member countries: we support them directly and provide the technical know-how and capacity they need. But we also work with the private sector.

This Africa Development Impact Forum complements what already exists. It is meant to close the loop: you have people with ideas, backed by research, but who cannot get them implemented. Something is missing. Not everything can be done by the private sector alone, nor by ECA alone. But working together — with governments, with financial institutions, with other promoters — we can make sure that any idea someone has can be implemented, and not only implemented but scaled up. You don't just start and remain small forever; it has to be scaled up.

Today, every country is chasing the same thing: jobs. And these jobs don't just come on their own — they are not the privilege of big companies. They can also come from SMEs, which in some countries can be over 90%. And these are started by young people.

That is why we designed this forum. We already convene many things — the Africa Business Forum, the annual meeting of the Ministers of Finance, where we discuss the issues affecting our continent, as well as the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, which looks at the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Using those forums and that team, we asked ourselves: what do we need to do differently for young people who come up with ideas and need them implemented and scaled? Becoming partners with young people, providing research and the necessary capacity so they come with concrete ideas, then helping them take it forward with other stakeholders for implementation.

Today, every country is chasing the same thing: jobs. And these jobs don't just come on their own — they are not the privilege of big companies. They can also come from SMEs, which in some countries can be over 90%. And these are started by young people.

Ecofin Agency: You argue, in your speech, that most of what needs to be done already exists and we only need to roll it out. Among the existing tools, which one or two do you think are the most underexploited and should be taken up?

Claver Gatete: Let me give an example. We have Afreximbank and development finance institutions such as the African Development Bank, the TDB, and many others. These institutions have money. But you don't just keep money — you have to give it to someone, and make sure they will use it properly so you get a return.

On the other side, there are people with well-thought-out, wonderful projects, but with no link to the financing. And even if they had that link, you still need a conducive environment in the country. These three things — the project, the money, the environment — are not connected. That was the missing link. It's not that there are no ideas, no money, or no conducive environment; you simply have to bring them together so someone can invest.

On the other side, there are people with well-thought-out, wonderful projects, but with no link to the financing. And even if they had that link, you still need a conducive environment in the country

Let me give you an example [from Rwanda, when I was still in government]. We had women with wonderful ideas who could not go to the bank and get credit because they had no guarantee — no land, no collateral. The same problem affected university graduates — very ambitious, full of ideas.

So, the government decided to provide a guarantee, since that was the key bottleneck. It set up a fund — the Business Development Fund — to guarantee bank credit. The government also said: if you are looking for agricultural land, we'll provide it depending on your idea. That guarantee helped many women and young graduates get in and start projects.

But having an idea doesn't mean you know how to develop a product. So, they put a subsidiary fund in place to help develop a proper, implementable project. By accompanying people all the way, we saw SMEs mushroom. And the default rate was far lower than the national average, because beneficiaries were accompanied and trained in their own field. Without the government stepping in, imagine how many of them would ever have gotten resources to start anything.

So the question is: how do we identify these wonderful, well-studied projects that need support? Some are already there — we just don't know them. The knowledge — from think tanks, universities, ourselves, and others — is available. What's needed is to close the whole cycle and deal with the entire ecosystem rather than doing it halfway.

When I went to the United Arab Emirates for the Annual Investment Meeting, I found over 200,000 participants saying: "we have the money, we need to know what to invest in, and where." You see — these things are not brought together. You have half the information, I have half the information, and the ideas are there. The point is: how do you make the whole ecosystem work together? It starts with these ideas — people present them, others judge them, they get improved, you see what's missing, and then you scale it up to close the loop.

Ecofin Agency: You stress working across stakeholders rather than in silos. Yet the AfDB, in its latest report on manufacturing, said the capacity of special economic zones is not matching expectations. Faced with that concrete need, how does the ADIF initiative add value?

Claver Gatete: In Africa, what you need most is industries, because you have to add value to every product you produce — minerals, agriculture, anything. We've been exporting raw materials, unfinished products. By establishing one market for the whole continent, the idea is to trade among ourselves and with the outside world in finished products. But finished products require higher value, and you add value in an industry.

The point is: how do you make the whole ecosystem work together? It starts with these ideas — people present them, others judge them, they get improved, you see what's missing, and then you scale it up to close the loop.

At the same time, you can't have myriads of industries scattered everywhere, because each one needs infrastructure. That's why you create the special economic zone: you put the industries in one place and provide roads, energy, internet, housing for the workers, everything. You can't do that with scattered industries. Once you group them, you can more easily provide incentives and manage risk, with the help of institutions that already exist — Afreximbank, the AFC, the World Bank. The know-how is already there.

We're saying: let's do this not only at country level but also at the regional level. That's why we see regional value chains. If you have a mine here, you create industries nearby and the whole ecosystem — fulfilling environmental-assessment requirements, transport, processing — so you can add value to the final product, meeting the international standards needed to export. That means more jobs that stay in Africa, and value multiplied many times per product, which stays on the continent.

Today, most inputs are imported. 80% of those inputs come from outside even though we have them here. Initially we exported those inputs because we had no industries; now that we have industries, we can use them ourselves. That's how you create jobs and wealth, and the capacity to do this yourself — or to make any investor operate under your own control.

Ecofin Agency: One of the best examples of this is surely what you're doing between the DRC and Zambia. What are you saying with that project?

Claver Gatete: These countries have very important materials — copper and others — that can make batteries for electric vehicles. Why just dig the mine and export it raw? It can produce so much more in terms of jobs and resources. Zambia has provided land, the DRC has provided land: we want a common place where Zambia brings its part, the DRC brings its part, and we create industries that can produce batteries for any auto industry, up to the final product.

Where are those auto industries? In South Africa, and in Morocco, which has already started. The idea: first satisfy this market, then export — but as a final product, never raw. We started working with Bloomberg, then with Afreximbank and others, to package the whole chain: which investors, who can do what, so everything is produced on site.

We're doing the same with a study now starting on agri-food processing between Zambia and Zimbabwe, for Southern Africa — so the whole region can produce processed agricultural products to supply the rest of the continent.

If we did this for as many products as possible — for example also with Botswana, Namibia and South Africa as one market — any investor would have to operate under these countries' conditions, so they keep control and create employment. You also gain experience: no need to send raw materials to Europe for processing when you can do it at home.

This requires a lot of energy, which you have to develop in parallel: solar, wind (very present in Southern Africa), hydro, geothermal, and now nuclear energy. Lacking industries, countries like Morocco targeted Europe — for example 10.5 GW of solar and wind sent to the UK via undersea cable, or Egypt to Greece and the rest of Europe. Now we have to think energy and industries together, and make sure those industries are anchored in special economic zones and industrial parks.

Most investors coming into African markets are not interested in projects worth less than a billion dollars. They are looking for scale — that's where the returns are. Regional value chains help create that scale by bringing together activities across countries and turning them into large, attractive investment opportunities.

The regional scale is also more practical. Most investors coming into African markets are not interested in projects worth less than a billion dollars. They are looking for scale — that's where the returns are. Regional value chains help create that scale by bringing together activities across countries and turning them into large, attractive investment opportunities.

Ecofin Agency: On quantitative targets: how do you see the ADIF contributing to job creation, industries and development — and all the related dynamics — and over what time frame will we see the first tangible results, beyond Agenda 2063?

Claver Gatete: It's probably too early — this is just the beginning, a first experiment we are testing. But let me use an example. Copper in Zambia has long been exploited in raw form. Yet when you produce copper, other materials come with it, and there is an artisanal sector — men and women using it to make other things. But they have no money, low capacity, no instruments, no materials, no support.

Suppose we say: this copper, even when processed, partly goes for export; some can be used on the continent. But for what remains, can you come up with an innovation? If you bring a proposal, how do we accompany you to get it implemented? What do you need? You then go through the whole system. If you need money, here's where to get it, including existing climate funds, provided you do it in a sustainable way. If you need capacity building, there are funds available to help you do it properly and meet environmental requirements. If you need a market, there is support to help you find one and establish yourself. Then the question becomes: how do you partner with others to build the whole thing?

That's what ADIF brings: a focus on the practical details of what is actually needed. You can say everything is wonderful and still not make money, or fail to get a project off the ground. Once we've trained people in Zambia to carry this forward and engage with the market, we can train others across East, West, North and Central Africa. That's how you build scale. But scale also means thinking beyond local markets: how do you take production to the next level, compete globally and export? It then becomes a new export sector in its own right.

But you need to start somewhere. ADIF is only just beginning; you can't expect to get to the end when you're at the start of the journey. And with any new initiative, you never get everything right the first time. You adjust as you go, working with people who are doing real business. That's why these matters. The Africa Business Forum focuses on major investments, while ADIF is also looking at opportunities at this scale. And our role is not just to convene people. We are here to support member countries and help the private sector develop business models that allow them to make money.

Interview by Idriss Linge, with Ecofin Agency

White rice prices have surged sharply in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province. According to the Nouvelle dynamique de la société civile du Congo in Tshopo, cited by several local media outlets, a 100-kilogram bag now sells for more than 800,000 Congolese francs, up from 300,000 to 350,000 francs previously, representing an increase of between 128% and 167%.

The spike is attributed to the poor condition of rural roads, particularly those linking Opala Territory, one of Tshopo's main rice-producing areas, to Kisangani. Producers have harvests available but are struggling to move them to market, Christian Kambi, the organization's provincial president, said, adding that the supply bottleneck is fueling price pressure in the city.

Civil society is calling on provincial authorities to accelerate road rehabilitation to improve access to production areas and strengthen links with consumer markets.

Strategic corridor

Rehabilitation works on the Kisangani-Opala-Otala corridor were launched in September 2024. The project covers 309 kilometers of the road's total 328 kilometers and was awarded to KAS Logistic and Trading Company, with a planned duration of three years.

The corridor is strategic for the movement of agricultural products within the province. Its restoration is intended to improve connections between production areas and urban markets, though major logistical challenges remain.

Opala Territory is central to the government's agricultural strategy. In March 2026, Agriculture Minister Muhindo Nzangi highlighted the area's rice production potential and the need to support farmers through access to improved seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural equipment.

Realizing that potential, however, remains contingent on infrastructure. As long as access roads remain difficult to navigate, agricultural output from Opala will struggle to reach Kisangani on a regular basis.

Ronsard Luabeya

The Democratic Republic of Congo's National Rural Electrification and Energy Services Agency (ANSER) has provisionally awarded three contracts for the construction of solar photovoltaic power plants in the provinces of Mongala, Equateur and Mai-Ndombe. The combined value of the projects amounts to approximately $12.1 million, inclusive of taxes, according to procurement decisions reviewed by this publication.

The projects form part of ANSER's broader efforts to expand electricity access in rural and peri-urban areas through decentralized renewable energy solutions. The contracts cover the construction of solar power plants in Bumba, Lukolela, and Nioki Centre, localities where electricity supply remains limited and where access to the national grid is either inadequate or nonexistent.

The procurement processes were conducted under Congolese public procurement regulations and received non-objection notices from the Directorate General for Public Procurement Control (DGCMP), a requirement for the validation of public contracts in the country.

GOSHOP Energy Secures Two Contracts

Two of the three contracts were provisionally awarded to GOSHOP Energy SARL, a company already active in the Democratic Republic of Congo's solar energy sector.

The first contract concerns the construction of a 350-kWp solar photovoltaic plant in Bumba, located in Mongala province. According to a provisional award decision dated June 3, 2026, the project is valued at approximately $1.75 million, inclusive of taxes.

The second contract covers a solar plant of the same capacity in Lukolela, in Equateur province. The provisional award, dated May 29, 2026, places the value of that project at approximately $1.55 million, inclusive of taxes.

Together, the two projects represent a combined capacity of 700 kWp and an investment of roughly $3.3 million.

GOSHOP Energy has previously collaborated with ANSER through projects implemented under the government's 145 Territories Local Development Programme (PDL-145T). Among these initiatives are solar electrification projects in Lumumba-Ville, designed to improve electricity access for households as well as community infrastructure and public services.

The company operates across several segments of the energy sector, including solar generation, mini-grid development, battery storage systems and electrical infrastructure.

Nioki Centre Project Accounts for Majority of Investment

The largest of the three projects will be developed in Nioki Centre, a town in Mai-Ndombe province. The provisional award decision, dated May 27, 2026, assigns the contract to the EMC-ELICOM consortium.

The project involves the construction of a 3,000-kWp (3-MWp) solar photovoltaic power plant, making it significantly larger than the facilities planned for Bumba and Lukolela. With a contract value of approximately $8.79 million, inclusive of taxes, the Nioki project accounts for nearly three-quarters of the total investment represented by the three awards.

Its generating capacity is almost nine times greater than that of each of the other two planned installations, underscoring its strategic importance within ANSER's current rural electrification programme.

The EMC-ELICOM consortium brings together companies specialized in electromechanical engineering and technical equipment. Once completed, the plant is expected to improve electricity supply in Nioki and surrounding areas, where residents and businesses continue to face significant energy access challenges.

Expanding Rural Electrification Through Decentralized Solar Solutions

The awards are aligned with ANSER's mandate to promote electrification and energy services in rural and peri-urban areas across the Democratic Republic of Congo. Faced with the country's vast territory and limited grid coverage, the agency has increasingly relied on decentralized energy solutions, particularly solar photovoltaic systems, to reach communities located far from major transmission networks.

Despite possessing some of Africa's largest hydropower resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to record one of the continent's lowest electricity access rates. In many rural areas, households, schools, health centres and businesses depend on diesel generators, small standalone solar systems or have no reliable source of electricity at all.

Projects such as those planned for Bumba, Lukolela and Nioki are intended to help bridge that gap by providing localized generation capacity capable of supporting households, public institutions and productive economic activities.

Awards Remain Subject to Finalization

The contracts remain provisional at this stage. The award decisions reviewed do not yet provide detailed information regarding implementation schedules, commissioning dates, financing structures or final contractual arrangements.

As with many infrastructure projects in the country, the key challenge will be moving from contract award to operational infrastructure. Successful implementation will depend on factors including financing mobilization, equipment procurement, logistics, construction timelines and long-term operation and maintenance arrangements.

In several rural and peri-urban localities across the country, limited electricity access continues to constrain economic activity, the delivery of basic social services and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. The effectiveness of these projects will therefore be measured not only by installed capacity but also by their ability to provide reliable and sustainable electricity to communities that have long remained underserved.

Ronsard Luabeya

Le prix du riz blanc connaît une forte hausse à Kisangani, chef-lieu de la province de la Tshopo. Selon la Nouvelle dynamique de la société civile du Congo dans la Tshopo, citée par plusieurs médias locaux, le sac de 100 kilogrammes se vend désormais à plus de 800 000 francs congolais, contre 300 000 à 350 000 francs congolais auparavant, soit une hausse comprise entre 128 % et 167 %.

Cette flambée est attribuée au mauvais état des routes de desserte agricole, en particulier celles reliant le territoire d’Opala, l’un des principaux bassins rizicoles de la Tshopo, à Kisangani. Selon Christian Kambi, président provincial de cette organisation, les producteurs disposent de récoltes, mais peinent à les évacuer vers les marchés de consommation, ce qui alimente la pression sur les prix dans la ville.

La société civile appelle donc les autorités provinciales à accélérer la réhabilitation des routes afin de désenclaver les zones de production.

Axe stratégique

Des travaux de réhabilitation de l’axe Kisangani-Opala-Otala ont été lancés en septembre 2024. Ils portent sur 309 kilomètres sur les 328 kilomètres de cette route et ont été confiés à l’entreprise KAS Logistic and Trading Company, pour une durée prévue de trois ans.

Cet axe est stratégique pour la circulation des produits agricoles dans la province. Sa remise en état doit améliorer la connexion entre les bassins de production et les marchés urbains, mais les contraintes logistiques restent importantes sur le terrain.

Le territoire d’Opala occupe une place importante dans les ambitions agricoles du gouvernement. En mars 2026, le ministre de l’Agriculture, Muhindo Nzangi, avait mis en avant le potentiel rizicole de cette zone et la nécessité d’accompagner les producteurs à travers l’accès aux semences améliorées, aux engrais et aux équipements agricoles.

Mais la valorisation de ce potentiel reste dépendante des infrastructures. Tant que les voies d’accès demeurent difficilement praticables, les productions agricoles d’Opala auront du mal à approvisionner régulièrement Kisangani.

Ronsard Luabeya

L’Agence nationale de l’électrification et des services énergétiques en milieux rural et périurbain (ANSER) a attribué provisoirement trois marchés de construction de centrales solaires photovoltaïques dans les provinces de la Mongala, de l’Équateur et du Maï-Ndombe. Le montant global des trois attributions s’élève à environ 12,1 millions de dollars TTC.

Selon les décisions consultées, ces marchés portent sur la construction de centrales solaires à Bumba, Lukolela et Nioki Centre. Les procédures ont été conduites dans le cadre de la réglementation congolaise sur les marchés publics, avec des avis de non-objection de la Direction générale du contrôle des marchés publics.

Deux marchés ont été attribués provisoirement à GOSHOP Energy SARL. Le premier concerne la construction d’une centrale solaire photovoltaïque de 350 kWc à Bumba, dans la province de la Mongala. La décision, datée du 3 juin 2026, évalue ce marché à environ 1,75 million de dollars TTC.

Le second porte sur la construction d’une centrale de même capacité à Lukolela, dans la province de l’Équateur. Attribué provisoirement le 29 mai 2026, ce marché est évalué à 1,55 million de dollars TTC. Ensemble, les deux projets confiés à GOSHOP Energy représentent environ 3,3 millions de dollars TTC, pour une capacité cumulée de 700 kWc.

GOSHOP Energy est déjà active en RDC dans les solutions solaires, les mini-réseaux, les systèmes de stockage et les infrastructures électriques. L’entreprise a notamment travaillé avec l’ANSER dans le cadre du Programme de développement local des 145 territoires, à travers des projets solaires à Lumumba-Ville destinés à améliorer l’accès à l’électricité des ménages et de certaines infrastructures communautaires.

Nioki, plus gros projet

Le troisième marché, plus important en capacité comme en montant, concerne la construction d’une centrale solaire photovoltaïque de 3 000 kWc, soit 3 MWc, à Nioki Centre, dans la province du Maï-Ndombe. La décision d’attribution provisoire, datée du 27 mai 2026, confie ce marché au groupement EMC-ELICOM.

Le montant du projet de Nioki Centre est évalué à 8,79 millions de dollars TTC. Avec une capacité près de neuf fois supérieure à celles prévues à Bumba et Lukolela, cette centrale constitue le plus important des trois projets consultés.

Le groupement EMC-ELICOM réunit des acteurs actifs dans l’ingénierie électromécanique et les équipements techniques. Le projet de Nioki Centre devrait contribuer à renforcer l’approvisionnement électrique dans une zone encore insuffisamment desservie par le réseau national.

Ces attributions s’inscrivent dans la mission de l’ANSER, chargée de promouvoir l’électrification et les services énergétiques en milieux rural et périurbain. L’agence mise notamment sur les solutions solaires décentralisées pour améliorer l’accès à l’électricité dans les localités éloignées des grands réseaux.

À ce stade, il s’agit toutefois d’attributions provisoires. Les décisions consultées ne permettent pas encore d’établir le calendrier détaillé d’exécution, les délais de mise en service, les modalités de financement effectif ni les conditions finales de contractualisation.

L’enjeu sera désormais de transformer ces attributions en infrastructures opérationnelles. Dans plusieurs localités rurales et périurbaines, l’accès à l’électricité reste limité, freinant les activités économiques, les services sociaux de base et le développement des petites entreprises.

Ronsard Luabeya

Lire aussi :

Énergie solaire : Solution For Africa décroche deux marchés de l’ANSER

Électrification rurale : la RDC mobilise 150 millions d’euros pour le projet confié à Gauff

Électrification rurale : Infinite Capital vise 100 millions $ d’investissements pour la RDC

Acacia Bandubola Mbongo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Minister of State for Hydrocarbons, has given fuel depot operators in Kinshasa one month to bring their facilities into compliance with safety and operating regulations.

The order came after she inspected several petroleum storage sites in the communes of Kalamu and Limete on June 9, 2026.

According to the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, depots located within residential neighborhoods will have to be relocated. The government plans to identify a site in the commune of N'sele to accommodate the facilities, with the aim of reducing risks to nearby residents.

The measure primarily targets fuel depots operating near homes that fail to meet safety requirements. The minister said petroleum facilities can no longer operate outside the regulatory framework, particularly when they pose fire, explosion or pollution risks in densely populated areas.

"There will be no more disorder in this strategic sector," Bandubola said during the tour. She stressed that all depots must comply with regulatory standards and should not be operating in residential neighborhoods.

The visit also included inspections of several companies that use or handle petroleum products, including bakeries Pain d'Or and Pain Vimba and transport company EcoTrans. According to the ministry, only EcoTrans was fully compliant, while the other entities were given one month to bring their facilities and operations into compliance with safety and operating requirements.

Regulatory framework

The inspection was conducted under an existing legal framework. Hydrocarbons regulations adopted on April 19, 2016, subject petroleum storage and warehousing facilities to registration requirements, prior authorization, technical inspections, insurance coverage, and compliance with environmental, health and safety standards.

The regulations also stipulate that petroleum transport and storage activities may only be carried out under an authorization or permit, depending on the volumes involved. Operators must possess the required administrative documents, proof of ownership or a lease agreement, insurance covering operational risks, and a technical inspection report for their facilities.

Projects related to hydrocarbons activities, including transport, storage and distribution infrastructure, are also subject to environmental and social impact assessments and environmental and social management plans.

The regulations further impose safety obligations on operators. Companies must implement risk-prevention measures, maintain firefighting equipment, keep an up-to-date inventory of safety systems and ensure hygiene and protection standards appropriate to petroleum-related hazards.

Penalties for failing to comply with downstream petroleum regulations range from administrative fines to suspension of operating rights, non-renewal of licenses, license revocation or the demolition of facilities at the operator's expense.

Fire

In February 2026, following a fire at a fuel depot in the Socopao neighborhood of Limete, authorities launched an inspection campaign targeting petroleum storage facilities across the commune.

During that operation, the mayor of Limete provided the minister with a list of active fuel depots and their locations. The ministry subsequently ordered checks on safety compliance and permits related to fuel storage and distribution, while warning that sanctions would be imposed on non-compliant facilities.

The issue of relocating fuel depots away from residential areas is not new. As early as 2024, authorities had raised the possibility of moving certain unauthorized petroleum storage facilities that were operating under conditions considered hazardous to nearby residents.

The ministry has not yet disclosed how many depots will be affected, when the relocations will take place or how the future site in N'sele will be developed.

Boaz Kabeya 

À l’issue d’une mission d’inspection menée le 9 juin 2026 dans plusieurs dépôts pétroliers installés dans les communes de Kalamu et de Limete, à Kinshasa, la ministre d’État en charge des Hydrocarbures, Acacia Bandubola Mbongo, a donné un délai d’un mois aux opérateurs concernés pour se conformer aux normes en vigueur.

Selon le ministère des Hydrocarbures, les dépôts pétroliers situés au cœur des quartiers d’habitation devront être délocalisés. Le gouvernement prévoit d’identifier un site dans la commune de N’sele pour accueillir ces installations, afin de réduire les risques auxquels sont exposées les populations.

La mesure vise principalement les dépôts opérant à proximité des habitations, dans des conditions jugées incompatibles avec les exigences de sécurité. Pour la ministre, les installations pétrolières ne peuvent plus fonctionner en dehors du cadre réglementaire, surtout lorsqu’elles présentent des risques d’incendie, d’explosion ou de pollution dans des zones densément peuplées.

« Plus jamais de désordre dans ce secteur stratégique », a insisté Acacia Bandubola lors de cette tournée. Elle a rappelé que tous les dépôts doivent fonctionner dans le respect des normes et qu’ils ne devraient pas être opérationnels dans les quartiers résidentiels.

La visite a également concerné plusieurs entreprises utilisant ou manipulant des produits pétroliers, notamment les sociétés de panification Pain d’Or et Pain Vimba, ainsi que l’entreprise de transport EcoTrans. D’après le ministère, seule EcoTrans était en ordre, tandis que les autres structures ont reçu un délai d’un mois pour se conformer.

Cadre réglementaire

Cette opération s’appuie sur un cadre juridique déjà existant. Le règlement des hydrocarbures du 19 avril 2016 soumet les installations de stockage et d’entreposage des produits pétroliers à des obligations d’enregistrement, d’autorisation préalable, de contrôle technique, d’assurance, ainsi qu’au respect des normes environnementales, sanitaires et sécuritaires.

Le texte prévoit également que les activités de transport-stockage des produits pétroliers ne peuvent être exercées qu’avec une autorisation ou un permis, selon les volumes manipulés. Les exploitants doivent notamment disposer de documents administratifs, d’un titre de propriété ou d’un contrat de location, d’une assurance couvrant les risques liés à l’activité et d’un rapport de contrôle technique des installations.

Sur le plan environnemental, les projets liés aux activités d’hydrocarbures, y compris les infrastructures de transport, de stockage et de distribution des produits pétroliers, sont soumis à une étude d’impact environnemental et social ainsi qu’à un plan de gestion environnementale et sociale.

Le même règlement impose aussi des obligations de sécurité. Les opérateurs doivent mettre en place des dispositifs de prévention, disposer d’équipements de lutte anti-incendie, tenir à jour la liste de leurs équipements de sécurité et garantir des conditions d’hygiène et de protection adaptées aux risques liés aux produits pétroliers.

En cas de non-respect des obligations applicables aux activités d’hydrocarbures en aval, l’administration peut appliquer plusieurs sanctions, allant de l’amende transactionnelle à la suspension du droit d’opérer, au non-renouvellement du titre, au retrait du titre ou au démantèlement des installations aux frais de l’opérateur.

Incendie

En février 2026, après un incendie survenu dans un dépôt de carburant au quartier Socopao, à Limete, les autorités avaient déjà lancé une opération de vérification des dépôts de stockage de produits pétroliers dans la commune.

À cette occasion, la bourgmestre de Limete avait remis à la ministre la liste des dépôts opérationnels et leurs adresses. Le ministère avait alors demandé la vérification des normes de sécurité, des documents de revente et d’entrepôt, tout en annonçant des sanctions contre les installations non conformes.

La question de la délocalisation des dépôts pétroliers situés dans des zones d’habitation n’est pas nouvelle. Dès 2024, les autorités avaient déjà évoqué le transfert de certains entrepôts clandestins de produits pétroliers opérant dans des conditions jugées dangereuses pour les riverains.

À ce stade, le ministère n’a pas encore communiqué le nombre total de dépôts visés, le calendrier précis de délocalisation ni les modalités pratiques d’aménagement du futur site. Mais le message politique est clair : les dépôts pétroliers installés dans les quartiers résidentiels sont désormais dans le viseur des autorités.

Boaz Kabeya 

The Democratic Republic of Congo has established a task force to oversee the transition of its single-window foreign trade platform and develop a new governance framework after its current operator signaled plans to exit government contracts in Africa.

The task force was set up following a meeting of the supervisory committee of SEGUCE, the company operating the DRC's integrated single-window for foreign trade, held June 8 in Kinshasa and chaired by Trade Minister Julien Paluku.

Its mandate is to "review transition arrangements, oversee the handover process and develop a new governance framework ahead of signing a contract with a new partner," the Trade Ministry said on its Facebook page.

SEGUCE is the product of a contract signed in 2013 between the DRC and a consortium led by BIVAC, a subsidiary of France's Bureau Veritas. The agreement, originally set for 10 years, was extended by two years and is due to expire in the second half of 2026.

The Trade Ministry said it was stepping up efforts to safeguard the state's strategic interests, including by contracting with a different company.

The ministry attributed the decision to "Bureau Veritas's announcement that it would withdraw from government contracts in Africa and the Middle East." A year after the group's vice president for government contracts, Stéphane Gaudechon, expressed interest in continuing cooperation with the DRC, the French company decided to wind down certain public contracts in those regions.

Favorable context for Intertek

The world's leading testing, inspection and certification company did not specify which countries would be affected. In Kinshasa, however, the decision is seen as creating uncertainty over the continuity of the single-window platform, which is regarded as a strategic tool for international trade, transaction tracking and government revenue collection. The digital platform allows economic operators and government agencies involved in trade procedures to process foreign trade documents through a single portal.

The supervisory committee formally acknowledged the end of the Bureau Veritas partnership and tasked the new group with managing the transition and defining a new governance framework. The team brings together experts from the presidency and representatives of the ministries of Finance, Budget, National Economy, Portfolio, Transport and Foreign Trade.

The development could also affect Bureau Veritas's second contract in the DRC, covering the implementation of an import conformity verification program. That contract, awarded in 2006 to its BIVAC subsidiary, expires in November 2026.

On May 6, Trade Minister Paluku received a delegation from Intertek led by Jeremy Gaspard, vice president for government and commercial services, which came to bid for that contract. No information has since emerged on how the process is progressing, though the broader context could work in the British group's favor.

Pierre Mukoko & Ronsard Luabeya

À l’issue de la réunion du Comité de supervision de la Société d’exploitation du guichet unique intégral du commerce extérieur (SEGUCE), tenue le 8 juin 2026 à Kinshasa sous la présidence du ministre du Commerce extérieur, Julien Paluku (photo), une Task Force a été mise en place pour préparer l’avenir du dispositif.

Sa mission consiste à « mener une réflexion afin d’assurer la transition et de préparer un futur modèle institutionnel de gouvernance, avec, à la clé, la signature d’un nouveau contrat avec un autre partenaire », indique le ministère du Commerce extérieur sur sa page Facebook.

La SEGUCE est le fruit d’un contrat conclu entre la République démocratique du Congo et un groupement conduit par BIVAC, filiale de Bureau Veritas. Signé en 2013 pour une durée de dix ans, ce contrat a été prorogé de deux ans. Alors qu’il arrive à son terme au second semestre 2026, le ministère du Commerce extérieur dit mettre « les bouchées doubles pour mieux protéger les intérêts stratégiques de l’État » en optant notamment pour la contractualisation avec une autre entreprise.

Le département ministériel justifie cette décision par « l’annonce du Bureau Veritas de se retirer des contrats gouvernementaux en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient ». Un an après avoir exprimé, par la voix de Stéphane Gaudechon, son vice-président chargé des contrats gouvernementaux, son intérêt à poursuivre sa coopération avec la RDC, le groupe français a en effet décidé de mettre fin à certains contrats publics au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique.

Contexte favorable pour Intertek

Le leader mondial des services d’essais, d’inspection et de certification n’a toutefois pas précisé les pays concernés. Mais, à Kinshasa, la décision est perçue comme une source d’incertitude pour la continuité du guichet unique, considéré comme un outil stratégique pour le commerce extérieur, la traçabilité des opérations et la mobilisation des recettes publiques. Cette plateforme numérique permet, en effet, aux opérateurs économiques et aux administrations concernées de traiter les documents du commerce extérieur à travers un portail unique.

Le Comité de supervision a donc acté la fin de la coopération avec Bureau Veritas et mis en place une Task Force chargée d’organiser la transition et de réfléchir au futur modèle de gouvernance. Cette équipe regroupe des experts de la présidence de la République ainsi que des représentants des ministères des Finances, du Budget, de l’Économie nationale, du Portefeuille, des Transports et du Commerce extérieur.

Cette position pourrait également influencer le sort de l’autre contrat détenu par Bureau Veritas en RDC. Il s’agit de la mise en œuvre du programme de vérification de conformité des importations. Attribué en 2006 à sa filiale BIVAC, ce contrat arrive à échéance en novembre 2026.

Le ministre du Commerce extérieur a d’ailleurs reçu, le 6 mai dernier, une délégation d’Intertek conduite par Jeremy Gaspard, vice-président chargé des services gouvernementaux et commerciaux, venue solliciter ce contrat. Depuis, aucune information n’a filtré sur l’évolution du dossier. Le contexte pourrait toutefois jouer en faveur du groupe britannique.

Pierre Mukoko et Ronsard Luabeya

Lire aussi :

Contrôle de l’import-export : duel à distance entre Intertek et Bureau Veritas en RDC