The Democratic Republic of Congo plans an international tender for the construction and operation of a national fiber-optic backbone spanning more than 11,500 kilometers, including 1,500 kilometers of international links.

The process reached a new milestone on June 19, 2026, in Kinshasa with the opening of a market engagement workshop chaired by Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs Minister José Mpanda. The meeting brought together telecom operators, investors, financial institutions, and international development partners.

The workshop aimed to present the main parameters of the upcoming tender, gather feedback from market participants, and prepare a transparent and competitive procurement process. The government intends to establish a contractual framework capable of attracting private investors while complying with the standards required by the project's funding partners.

Strengthening the Digital Backbone

The Digital Transformation Project is backed by $400 million in financing from the World Bank and co-financed with €100 million ($115 million) from the French Development Agency.

The combined financing package amounts to approximately $515 million.

The planned backbone network is intended to strengthen the country's digital infrastructure and improve both domestic and international interconnection across the DRC. According to project officials, the network will include international links with several neighboring countries, including Angola, Uganda, Burundi and the Central African Republic.

Beyond the fiber-optic infrastructure, the program aims to expand access to digital services, reduce internet costs, improve connectivity quality and strengthen network resilience. It is also expected to support the expansion of mobile coverage in areas that remain underserved.

Digital Public Services

The project aims to facilitate access to digital services for more than 30 million Congolese citizens and extend mobile coverage to 650 additional communities. It also plans to connect more government institutions and improve access to digital public services.

One component of the program focuses on connectivity for public-sector entities. A pilot phase calls for connecting 35 strategic government offices in Kinshasa through a centralized network management and performance monitoring system.

The project also includes measures to improve connectivity across the country's 145 territories. A pilot phase will cover seven provincial administrations and 44 administrative offices, with the goal of making digital public services more accessible to local residents.

4G and 5G Equipment

The government also plans to support the expansion of high-speed mobile coverage through the Universal Service Development Fund.

The financing is expected to be used to build new telecom sites, deploy 4G and 5G equipment, provide reliable power for telecom infrastructure, and strengthen transmission systems, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.

For Congolese authorities, the national backbone is expected to become the foundation of the country's digital transformation. It is intended to support the modernization of public administration, the development of digital services, financial inclusion, technological innovation and improved connectivity throughout the DRC.

However, the project remains in a preparatory phase. The international tender has not yet been launched. The June 19 workshop was instead a market consultation phase designed to refine the technical, financial and contractual structure of the project before the publication of the tender documents.

Ronsard Luabeya

Trucks carrying agricultural products can spend up to a full day waiting for phytosanitary clearance at some East African border crossings, increasing costs and slowing regional trade. The East African Community (EAC) is now seeking to harmonize inspection procedures across its member states to reduce those delays.

Experts from the bloc’s eight member countries met in Kampala to finalize common frameworks for phytosanitary risk analysis and standard operating procedures.

The discussions focused on four agricultural products regarded as priorities for regional trade: soybeans, groundnuts, pineapples and avocados. The aim is to reduce delays and border formalities while maintaining safeguards needed to prevent the spread of plant pests and diseases.

The technical workshop was held in the Ugandan capital from May 26 to May 29, 2026. It brought together phytosanitary experts, agricultural regulators and public policy specialists from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The harmonized frameworks developed in Kampala must still be submitted to the EAC’s relevant sectoral bodies responsible for agriculture and food security before they can be adopted and implemented across the region.

Regional Trade

For the EAC, the issue is both economic and sanitary. According to David Wafula, coordinator of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme at the EAC, agricultural products account for about 65% of trade within the bloc. Harmonizing inspections in the sector could therefore help lower logistics costs and accelerate trade flows.

Exporters currently face differing requirements depending on the countries through which their goods transit.

These differences in inspection procedures create delays, increase costs and sometimes lead to disputes at border posts.

The Namanga border crossing between Kenya and Tanzania illustrates these challenges. About 350 trucks are estimated to pass through the crossing each day. Without harmonized procedures, a truck can remain stranded for an entire day before receiving clearance to continue its journey. The goal is to reduce that delay to about two hours through the application of common rules.

The new procedures are intended to provide common reference standards for inspectors operating at border crossings. They are designed to limit arbitrary decisions, reduce unnecessary interactions between operators and inspection services, and make requirements more predictable for exporters.

Phytosanitary Risks

The process is also based on the principles of the World Trade Organization and the International Plant Protection Convention. Experts from the member states were asked to document the pests and diseases already present in their territories.

The aim is to prevent countries from imposing quarantine measures against pests that are already established within their borders, which could constitute unjustified technical barriers to trade.

Some restrictions will nevertheless remain necessary when the risk is considered high. Experts cited the movement of banana suckers as an example, noting that it may be restricted to prevent the spread of Banana Bunchy Top Virus, a disease capable of causing significant losses in plantations.

For example, an avocado exporter from the Democratic Republic of Congo shipping produce through Uganda before reaching the ports of Mombasa or Dar es Salaam could eventually benefit from inspection criteria that are more predictable and better aligned among the countries along the route. The objective is to reduce administrative delays without weakening phytosanitary protection.

The initiative is part of a broader EAC strategy to reduce non-tariff barriers to regional trade. Leaders of the bloc have set June 30, 2026, as the deadline for resolving the barriers that remain in place.

The harmonization of phytosanitary inspections is therefore seen as an important technical measure to facilitate agricultural trade. Its success will depend on the formal adoption of the proposed frameworks, the training of inspectors and the effective implementation of the new procedures at the region’s main border crossings.

Timothée Manoke 

The Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project (ADPI) has selected U.S.-based engineering group Aecom to update the preparatory studies for the Inga 3 hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The contract, valued at $4.7 million, is one of the first major awards in the project's new relaunch phase.

According to information published on June 15, 2026, by Africa Intelligence and confirmed to Bankable by several sources close to the process, Aecom's assignment will include reviewing the project's technical development scenarios, assessing electricity demand needed to underpin the project's bankability, and conducting new geological surveys at the Inga site. The work is expected to last 24 months.

According to information obtained by Bankable from individuals involved in the process, the procedure, although conducted through a single-source contracting process, took more than a year due to concerns over potential conflicts of interest. Two issues reportedly drew particular scrutiny from the World Bank, which is financing the studies under the Inga 3 Development Program: the proximity between Aecom's financial proposal and the budget earmarked for the assignment, and alleged family ties between executives of the local partner initially associated with the U.S. company and a senior ADPI official.

Sources familiar with the matter said a team from Washington was dispatched to review the concerns. The review reportedly resulted in the removal of the initially proposed local partner, while Aecom remained in the process.

Continuity of Technical Work

The World Bank was then reportedly faced with a difficult decision. The contract had been designed to allow the studies to be updated by the Aecom-Electricité de France (EDF) consortium, which carried out the original feasibility studies. However, EDF reportedly declined the offer, leaving Aecom as the only participant willing to continue the assignment. Excluding Aecom would have required restarting the process from scratch, with no guarantee that the U.S. group would later agree to update the studies.

Aecom's selection is therefore consistent with its longstanding involvement in the Inga 3 project. In 2011, the U.S. group, together with Électricité de France, won a $13.4 million contract to carry out the project's feasibility studies.

The work covered hydropower development at the site, associated transmission and interconnection lines, and the project's technical, financial, commercial, environmental and socio-economic dimensions.

The studies conducted by the Aecom-EDF consortium examined two main options. The first involved the so-called Inga 3 Low Head scheme, with a capacity of 4,800 megawatts. The second considered a more ambitious configuration featuring an 11,050-megawatt development linked to the Grand Inga project.

ADPI documents indicate that the second option was presented as compatible with the continued operation of the existing Inga 1 and Inga 2 power plants.

The earlier studies also estimated the cost of the project's domestic infrastructure at $17.9 billion, including $13.9 billion for generation facilities and $4 billion for domestic transmission lines.

Project Bankability

On the commercial side, the previous studies identified several potential markets for the electricity generated. South Africa was viewed as one of the main prospective buyers, with demand estimated at between 2,500 MW and 5,000 MW.

Mining companies operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo were also identified as major potential consumers, with projected demand ranging from 3,000 MW to 5,000 MW. State utility SNEL and industrial users in special economic zones were also among the prospective customers.

Based on those studies and bids received in 2016, Congolese authorities at one point favored a development plan involving Chinese and Spanish bidders grouped within a single developer consortium. The project was to be implemented under a build-operate-transfer public-private partnership model, with a concession agreement to be negotiated.

The project later stalled, particularly after the World Bank withdrew from the initiative in 2016. At the time, the total cost of the project was estimated at nearly $17.9 billion.

The Bretton Woods institution has since returned to the project. In June 2025, the World Bank approved an initial $250 million package under a program that could reach $1 billion. The funding is intended to support technical studies, strengthen project governance, develop local infrastructure and finance initiatives benefiting communities living near the site.

New Strategic Focus

This new phase follows several setbacks. Australian group Fortescue Energy, which obtained exclusive rights to develop the project in 2021, ultimately withdrew in 2024.

The renewed preparatory studies are intended to update the technical and commercial foundations of a project that has often been described as strategic for the Democratic Republic of Congo's energy future but has long been hindered by institutional, financial and industrial uncertainties. The update is expected to reflect the project's revised strategic priorities. According to World Bank officials, the emphasis is now on meeting the country's domestic electricity needs.

With the new contract, Aecom returns to a central role in the Inga 3 project after continuing its work with the Democratic Republic of Congo in the energy sector. In 2022, the company was selected to provide advisory services for the Uganda-DRC electricity interconnection project. The assignment involved assessing the feasibility of a transmission line linking western Uganda with eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, updating the studies does not yet mark the start of construction. Rather, it represents a preparatory step aimed at refreshing the technical, financial and commercial data needed for a possible relaunch of the project on more bankable foundations.

Pierre Mukoko & Ronsard Luabeya

La République démocratique du Congo prépare un appel d’offres international pour la construction et l’exploitation d’un backbone national en fibre optique de plus de 11 500 kilomètres, dont 1 500 kilomètres de liaisons internationales. Ce réseau doit constituer l’une des principales infrastructures du Projet de transformation numérique (PTN) du pays.

Le processus a franchi une nouvelle étape le 19 juin 2026 à Kinshasa, avec l’ouverture d’un atelier de mobilisation précoce du marché présidé par le ministre des Postes, Télécommunications et Numérique, José Mpanda. Cette rencontre a réuni des opérateurs télécoms, des investisseurs, des institutions financières ainsi que des partenaires techniques et financiers.

L’objectif de l’atelier était de présenter les grandes orientations du futur appel d’offres, de recueillir les observations des acteurs du marché et de préparer un processus de passation transparent et compétitif. Le gouvernement entend ainsi mettre en place un cadre contractuel susceptible d’attirer les investisseurs privés, tout en respectant les standards des partenaires financiers du projet.

Renforcer l’ossature numérique

Le Projet de transformation numérique bénéficie d’un financement de 400 millions de dollars de la Banque mondiale et d’un cofinancement de 100 millions d’euros de l’Agence française de développement. L’enveloppe globale représente environ 510 millions de dollars, selon le taux de change retenu.

Le futur backbone doit permettre de renforcer l’ossature numérique du pays et d’améliorer l’interconnexion nationale et internationale de la RDC. Selon les explications fournies par les responsables du projet, le réseau inclura des liaisons internationales avec plusieurs pays voisins, notamment l’Angola, l’Ouganda, le Burundi et la République centrafricaine.

Au-delà de l’infrastructure de fibre optique, le programme vise à élargir l’accès aux services numériques, réduire le coût d’Internet, améliorer la qualité de la connectivité et renforcer la résilience des réseaux. Il doit également contribuer à l’extension de la couverture mobile dans des zones encore mal desservies.

Services publics numériques

Le projet ambitionne notamment de faciliter l’accès aux services numériques pour plus de 30 millions de Congolais et d’étendre la couverture mobile à 650 nouvelles communautés ou localités. Il prévoit aussi de connecter davantage d’établissements publics et d’améliorer l’accès aux services administratifs numériques.

Parmi les composantes du programme figure la connectivité des institutions publiques. Une phase pilote prévoit la connexion de 35 bureaux administratifs stratégiques à Kinshasa, avec un système centralisé de gestion et de supervision des performances du réseau.

Le projet comprend également un volet consacré à l’amélioration de la connectivité dans les 145 territoires du pays. Une phase pilote concerne sept gouvernorats et 44 bureaux administratifs, avec l’objectif de rapprocher les services publics numériques des populations.

Équipements 4G et 5G

Le gouvernement prévoit aussi d’appuyer l’extension de la couverture mobile à haut débit à travers le Fonds de développement du service universel. Les financements doivent servir à construire de nouveaux sites télécoms, déployer des équipements 4G et 5G, assurer l’alimentation énergétique des infrastructures et renforcer les systèmes de transmission, notamment dans les zones rurales et périurbaines.

Pour les autorités congolaises, le backbone national doit devenir l’ossature de la transformation numérique du pays. Il doit soutenir la modernisation de l’administration publique, le développement de services numériques, l’inclusion financière, l’innovation technologique et l’amélioration de la connectivité des territoires.

Mais le projet reste à une étape préparatoire. L’appel d’offres international n’est pas encore lancé. L’atelier du 19 juin constitue plutôt une phase de consultation du marché destinée à affiner le montage technique, financier et contractuel avant la publication du dossier d’appel d’offres.

Ronsard Luabeya

Lire aussi :

Numérisation : Noël Litanga à la tête d’un projet de plus de 500 millions $

Transformation numérique : la RDC prépare le lancement d’un projet de 510 millions $ 

Les États partenaires de la Communauté d’Afrique de l’Est (EAC) veulent harmoniser leurs procédures d’inspection phytosanitaire afin de fluidifier le commerce régional des produits agricoles. Des experts des huit pays membres se sont réunis à Kampala pour finaliser des cadres communs d’analyse des risques phytosanitaires et des procédures opérationnelles standard.

Les travaux ont porté sur quatre produits agricoles considérés comme prioritaires dans les échanges régionaux : le soja, les arachides, les ananas et les avocats. L’objectif est de réduire les délais et les formalités aux frontières, tout en maintenant les mesures nécessaires pour éviter la propagation des ravageurs et des maladies des plantes.

L’atelier technique s’est tenu du 26 au 29 mai 2026 dans la capitale ougandaise. Il a réuni des spécialistes de la santé végétale, des régulateurs agricoles et des experts des politiques publiques venus de l’Ouganda, du Kenya, de la Tanzanie, du Rwanda, du Burundi, du Soudan du Sud, de la Somalie et de la République démocratique du Congo.

Les cadres harmonisés élaborés à Kampala doivent encore être soumis aux instances sectorielles compétentes de l’EAC sur l’agriculture et la sécurité alimentaire avant leur adoption et leur mise en œuvre dans l’ensemble de la région.

Commerce régional

Pour l’EAC, l’enjeu est économique autant que sanitaire. Selon David Wafula, coordinateur du Programme global de développement agricole de l’Afrique au sein de l’EAC, les produits agricoles représentent environ 65 % des échanges au sein de la communauté. L’harmonisation des contrôles dans ce secteur pourrait donc contribuer à réduire les coûts logistiques et à accélérer les flux commerciaux.

Aujourd’hui, les exportateurs sont souvent confrontés à des exigences différentes selon les pays traversés. Ces divergences dans les procédures d’inspection créent des retards, des surcoûts et parfois des litiges aux postes frontaliers.

Le poste de Namanga, entre le Kenya et la Tanzanie, illustre ces difficultés. Environ 350 camions y transiteraient chaque jour. En l’absence de procédures harmonisées, un camion peut rester immobilisé pendant une journée entière avant d’obtenir l’autorisation de poursuivre son trajet. L’objectif affiché est de ramener ce délai à environ deux heures grâce à l’application de règles communes.

Les nouvelles procédures doivent fournir des références communes aux inspecteurs opérant aux frontières. Elles visent à limiter les décisions arbitraires, à réduire les interactions inutiles entre opérateurs et services de contrôle, et à rendre les exigences plus prévisibles pour les exportateurs.

Risques phytosanitaires

Le processus repose aussi sur les principes de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce et de la Convention internationale pour la protection des végétaux. Les experts des États partenaires ont été appelés à déclarer les ravageurs et maladies déjà présents sur leurs territoires.

L’idée est d’éviter qu’un pays impose une mesure de quarantaine contre un ravageur déjà présent chez lui, ce qui pourrait constituer une barrière technique injustifiée au commerce.

Certaines restrictions resteront toutefois nécessaires lorsque le risque est jugé élevé. Les experts citent notamment le mouvement des rejets de bananiers, qui peut être limité afin d’éviter la propagation du Banana Bunchy Top Virus, une maladie susceptible de provoquer d’importantes pertes dans les plantations.

À titre d’illustration, un exportateur d’avocats de RDC transitant par l’Ouganda avant d’atteindre les ports de Mombasa ou de Dar es Salaam pourrait, à terme, bénéficier de critères d’inspection plus prévisibles et mieux alignés entre les pays traversés. L’enjeu est de réduire les ruptures administratives sans affaiblir la protection phytosanitaire.

Cette initiative s’inscrit dans une stratégie plus large de l’EAC visant à réduire les barrières non tarifaires au commerce régional. Les dirigeants de la communauté ont fixé au 30 juin 2026 l’échéance pour résoudre les barrières encore en vigueur dans le bloc.

L’harmonisation des inspections phytosanitaires apparaît ainsi comme une mesure technique importante pour faciliter les échanges agricoles. Sa réussite dépendra toutefois de l’adoption formelle des cadres proposés, de la formation des inspecteurs et de l’application effective des nouvelles procédures aux principaux postes frontaliers de la région.

Timothée Manoke 

Lire aussi :

EAC: les États ont jusqu’au 30 juin pour lever les barrières non tarifaires au commerce

L’Agence pour le développement et la promotion du projet Grand Inga (ADPI) a retenu le groupe américain Aecom pour actualiser les études préparatoires du projet hydroélectrique Inga 3, en République démocratique du Congo. Le contrat, d’un montant de 4,7 millions de dollars, porte sur l’un des premiers marchés structurants de la nouvelle phase de relance du projet.

Selon les informations publiées le 15 juin 2026 par Africa Intelligence et confirmées à Bankable par plusieurs sources proches du processus, la mission confiée à Aecom doit couvrir la mise à jour des options techniques de l’infrastructure, l’évaluation de la demande électrique susceptible de soutenir la bancabilité du projet, ainsi que de nouvelles reconnaissances géologiques sur le site d’Inga. La mission devrait s’étendre sur 24 mois.

D’après des informations obtenues par Bankable auprès d’acteurs internes au processus, la procédure, pourtant engagée de gré à gré, aurait duré plus d’un an en raison de préoccupations liées à de possibles conflits d’intérêts. Deux éléments auraient particulièrement retenu l’attention de la Banque mondiale, qui finance ces études dans le cadre du Programme de développement d’Inga 3 : la proximité entre l’offre financière d’Aecom et l’enveloppe budgétaire prévue pour cette activité, ainsi que les liens de parenté présumés entre les dirigeants du partenaire local initialement associé à l’entreprise américaine et un responsable de premier plan de l’ADPI.

Selon les mêmes sources, une équipe venue de Washington aurait été dépêchée pour examiner le dossier. Cet examen aurait notamment conduit à la mise à l’écart du partenaire local pressenti, tandis qu’Aecom aurait été maintenu dans le processus.

Continuité technique

La Banque mondiale se serait alors trouvée face à un arbitrage délicat. Le marché avait été conçu pour permettre l’actualisation des études par le consortium Aecom- Électricité de France (EDF), qui avait réalisé les études de faisabilité initiales. Mais EDF aurait décliné l’offre, laissant Aecom comme seul acteur disposé à poursuivre la mission. Écarter Aecom aurait impliqué de reprendre le processus à zéro, sans garantie d’obtenir ensuite la collaboration du groupe américain pour actualiser les études.

Le choix d’Aecom s’inscrit donc dans la continuité de son implication historique dans le dossier Inga 3. En 2011, le groupe américain, en association avec Électricité de France, avait obtenu un contrat de 13,4 millions de dollars pour réaliser les études de faisabilité du projet.

Ces travaux portaient sur le développement hydroélectrique du site, les lignes de transport et d’interconnexion associées, ainsi que les dimensions techniques, financières, commerciales, environnementales et socio-économiques du projet.

Les études réalisées par le groupement Aecom-EDF avaient notamment examiné deux principales hypothèses. La première portait sur une option dite Inga 3 Basse Chute, d’une capacité de 4 800 MW. La seconde retenait une configuration plus ambitieuse, avec un aménagement de 11 050 MW associé au projet Grand Inga.

Selon les documents de l’ADPI, cette seconde option était présentée comme ne compromettant pas le fonctionnement des centrales existantes Inga 1 et Inga 2.

Les anciennes études faisaient également ressortir un coût total intérieur estimé à 17,9 milliards de dollars, dont 13,9 milliards pour la production et 4 milliards pour les lignes intérieures.

Bancabilité du projet

Sur le plan commercial, les études précédentes identifiaient plusieurs débouchés potentiels pour l’électricité produite. L’Afrique du Sud apparaissait comme l’un des principaux acheteurs envisagés, avec une demande évaluée entre 2 500 et 5 000 MW.

Les sociétés minières opérant en RDC étaient également identifiées comme de gros consommateurs potentiels, avec des besoins projetés entre 3 000 et 5 000 MW. La SNEL et les industries des zones économiques spéciales figuraient aussi parmi les clients envisagés.

Sur la base de ces études et des offres reçues en 2016, les autorités congolaises avaient un temps privilégié un schéma de développement impliquant des candidats chinois et espagnols, réunis autour d’un consortium développeur unique. Le projet devait être réalisé selon un modèle de partenariat public-privé de type BOT, avec un contrat de concession à négocier.

À l’époque, le coût global du projet était estimé à près de 17,9 milliards de dollars. Le processus s’est toutefois enlisé, notamment après le retrait de la Banque mondiale en 2016.

L’institution de Bretton Woods est désormais revenue dans le dossier. En juin 2025, la Banque mondiale a approuvé une première enveloppe de 250 millions de dollars dans le cadre d’un programme pouvant atteindre 1 milliard de dollars. Ce financement doit soutenir les études techniques, le renforcement de la gouvernance du projet, les infrastructures locales ainsi que des initiatives de développement au bénéfice des communautés riveraines.

Nouvelle orientation

Cette nouvelle phase intervient après plusieurs revers. Le groupe australien Fortescue Energy, qui avait obtenu en 2021 une exclusivité pour développer le projet, s’est finalement retiré en 2024.

La relance des études préparatoires vise donc à remettre à jour les bases techniques et commerciales d’un projet régulièrement présenté comme stratégique pour l’avenir énergétique de la RDC, mais longtemps freiné par des incertitudes institutionnelles, financières et industrielles. Cette actualisation devrait se faire à la lumière de la nouvelle orientation du projet. Selon les responsables de la Banque mondiale, il est aujourd’hui question de répondre en priorité aux besoins internes du pays.

Avec ce nouveau contrat, Aecom revient donc au cœur du dossier Inga 3, après avoir poursuivi sa collaboration avec la RDC dans le secteur énergétique. En 2022, l’entreprise avait été sélectionnée pour fournir des services de conseil dans le cadre du projet d’interconnexion électrique entre l’Ouganda et la RDC. Cette mission portait sur l’évaluation de la faisabilité d’une ligne de transport destinée à relier l’ouest de l’Ouganda à l’est de la RDC.

Mais l’actualisation des études ne constitue pas encore un lancement des travaux. Elle marque plutôt une étape préparatoire destinée à remettre à niveau les données techniques, financières et commerciales nécessaires à une éventuelle relance du projet sur des bases jugées plus bancables.

Pierre Mukoko et Ronsard Luabeya

Lire aussi :

Grand Inga : vers l’adoption d’une loi pour accélérer le projet hydroélectrique

Projet Inga 3 : discussions prévues entre Kinshasa et Pretoria sur l’exportation de 5 000 MW

Accord RDC-États-Unis : un consortium américain cible le financement des projets stratégiques 

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seeking to accelerate the development of its capital market with support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

On June 18, 2026, the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank Group member signed a partnership agreement in Kinshasa aimed at supporting the development of the planned Kinshasa Stock Exchange.

The agreement was signed by Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba and IFC Country Director Malick Fall.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the partnership will cover several strategic areas, including the development of the regulatory framework, the establishment of financial market infrastructure, capacity building for market participants, knowledge sharing, expansion of the investor base and support for the first stock market transactions.

Allowing Congolese Citizens to Become Shareholders

For Malick Fall, the initiative goes beyond providing technical support for the creation of a stock exchange.

"Strong capital markets mean access to long-term financing for companies, the opportunity for Congolese citizens to become shareholders in their own economy, and a powerful tool for diversifying sources of growth well beyond natural resources," he said.

Fwamba also emphasized the need to introduce incentives that would encourage companies to use the future market. He said authorities could eventually require certain large companies to raise capital or sell shares through the planned Kinshasa Stock Exchange.

The government's objective is twofold: to improve transparency in capital market transactions and channel more domestic savings into productive investment. According to the finance minister, the reform should also enable Congolese citizens to acquire stakes in companies operating in strategic sectors such as mining, telecommunications and infrastructure.

The agreement comes as the DRC continues the legislative process required to establish a national stock market.

Draft Law

The draft law governing financial markets and establishing the Kinshasa Stock Exchange has already been approved by the National Assembly and accepted for consideration by the Senate.

The legislation provides for the organization of the national stock market, the regulation of financial instruments such as shares, bonds and financial contracts, and the creation of a Capital Markets Authority.

The authority would be responsible for ensuring the transparency, credibility and security of operations on the future financial market. Its establishment will be critical to maintaining the confidence of investors, issuers and the broader public.

In April 2025, with support from the African Development Fund, the government invited firms to submit expressions of interest for a feasibility study and business plan for the establishment of a securities exchange in the DRC.

The partnership with the IFC therefore marks another step toward the development of the country's capital market. However, its success will depend on the strength of the regulatory framework, the credibility of the supervisory authority, the participation of major companies and the ability to attract a sufficiently broad base of local and institutional investors.

Ronsard Luabeya 

The Economic Regulation Fund (FOREC) and the Bumba Rice Company (SRB) signed a memorandum of understanding in Kinshasa on June 18, 2026, aimed at supporting the development of the rice sector in Mongala province.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the Ministry of National Economy, through FOREC, and SRB around a central objective: strengthening local rice production and contributing to the gradual reduction of the Democratic Republic of Congo's dependence on food imports.

The partnership aims to capitalize on the agricultural potential of the Bumba region in Mongala. The parties plan to develop an integrated program to strengthen the rice value chain, with a focus on modernizing production, improving productivity, developing agricultural infrastructure and creating economic opportunities for local communities.

The Bumba Rice Company will serve as the lead coordinating company for the sector. The company is expected to help organize producers, support production, facilitate processing and expand market channels for locally produced rice.

SRB is a Congolese company wholly owned by Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC). According to the statement, this structure will allow SRB to draw on PHC's experience and local presence while developing a business dedicated to rice production.

Public-Private Cooperation

The government presented the partnership as a step toward bringing together public- and private-sector stakeholders in support of food security. The objective is to increase national rice production, support Congolese producers and strengthen rural economies.

The announcement did not provide operational details of the project. No figures were disclosed regarding planned investments, the acreage involved, expected production volumes, infrastructure projects or a detailed implementation timetable. The statement said only that the next steps are expected to lead to the project's official launch in the coming days at one of the project sites in Mongala.

According to a statement from the Ministry of National Economy, the initiative forms part of the government's strategy to strengthen food security over the long term, promote domestic production and support agricultural sectors considered strategic.

The initiative comes amid broader efforts to revive rice production in Bumba. In October 2025, during a mission to Mongala, Deputy Prime Minister for National Economy Daniel Mukoko Samba announced the government's intention to relaunch the National Rice Program in that part of the country.

In April 2026, several tonnes of improved rice seed were delivered to Bumba as part of the national agricultural campaign aimed at reviving rice cultivation and strengthening domestic food production.

Boaz Kabeya 

Traders in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Kasaï-Central province have blamed the National Railways Company of Congo (SNCC) after 13 railcars carrying more than 350 metric tons of fish were stranded for several months in Luena, Haut-Lomami province.

According to traders speaking on Radio Okapi on June 17, 2026, the shipments have been stuck since January. The cargo includes salted fish, smoked fish and dried small fish.

The traders say they have suffered significant financial losses. They also say they continue to pay various taxes and logistics charges despite still being unable to access their goods.

According to the traders, the prolonged delay has disrupted the supply chain in Kasaï-Central, where fish products are an important commodity in local markets.

SNCC Rejects Diversion Allegations

The National Association of Fish Sellers has also alleged that some of the cargo may have been diverted. Its provincial president, Léonard Mpumbu, said part of the products destined for Kananga may have been sold locally in Luena by personnel accompanying the shipment.

The allegations have been rejected by SNCC. Emmanuel Kalonji, a representative of the railway company, said the delays were caused by technical constraints, including fuel shortages and recurring locomotive breakdowns.

SNCC says the goods remain secure and under surveillance. The company also said operations are gradually returning to normal, with the railcars having left Luena to continue their journey to Kananga.

According to Emmanuel Kalonji, the railcars were in Kamina at the time of his comments and were en route to their final destination. The railway company therefore maintains that freight services have resumed, although traders remain concerned about the losses already incurred.

The case highlights the fragility of rail transport along corridors linking supply areas to Kasaï-Central. SNCC's technical difficulties, combined with transport delays, can quickly create tensions in markets and weaken traders' business activities.

Beyond the case of the 13 railcars, the issue concerns SNCC's ability to provide regular and reliable freight transport to Kananga. For traders, the resumption of services alone will not be enough. They are also seeking guarantees on the security of cargo and adherence to delivery schedules.

Ronsard Luabeya 

Passenger traffic on the Kinshasa–Matadi railway line could resume soon after nearly two months of suspension, Jean-Claude Ngoma Moussa, Onatra's railway operations director in Matadi, told Radio Okapi.

According to the National Transport Office (Onatra), the service disruption is due to technical problems affecting the trains assigned to the route. The railcars operating between Kinshasa and Matadi are currently undergoing maintenance at the company’s depot in Kinshasa.

Ngoma Moussa said the maintenance work is “almost complete.” Technical tests are expected to be conducted in the coming days before passenger train services gradually resume.

At this stage, however, no firm date has been announced. Onatra says services will restart “very soon,” but the timeline remains dependent on the completion of maintenance work and the results of the final tests.

The suspension has raised concerns among passengers, particularly in Matadi. For many travelers, the train provides an important alternative to road transport on the route between Kinshasa and Matadi, the country’s main port city, even though road travel remains the dominant mode of transportation.

Fragile Service

The Kinshasa-Matadi line was relaunched in the second half of 2025 after several years of disruptions and interruptions. The relaunch aimed to restore regular train services along a strategic corridor that plays an important role in passenger mobility and economic activity between Kinshasa and Kongo Central.

Since returning to service, however, the line has faced several interruptions. In November 2025, Onatra suspended traffic on the route, particularly on the Kimwenza-Lemba section, after severe weather damaged parts of the infrastructure. The company said the suspension was necessary to ensure safe operations.

In March 2026, another technical incident was reported by local media. An express train traveling from Matadi to Kinshasa became stranded in a rural area about 40 kilometers from Kisantu, causing delays of more than 24 hours for several hundred passengers.

These successive incidents highlight the challenges of rebuilding reliable passenger rail services on the corridor. Beyond returning the trains to operation, the longer-term task will be to ensure the reliability of the equipment, maintain high maintenance standards, and improve the safety and resilience of the railway infrastructure.

Ronsard Luabeya