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

The Democratic Republic of Congo's General Finance Inspectorate (IGF) launched a new wave of control missions on June 4, 2026, focused primarily on mining revenues. The operation involves 118 finance inspectors and covers nearly 200 public and private entities.

According to the IGF, the mission aims to assess the mechanisms for collecting revenue from mining operations, identify weaknesses in the oversight framework, and propose corrective measures to improve the sector's contribution to the public treasury.

The focus is expected to be on the traceability of financial flows, from export operations through to the actual collection of public revenues. The objective is to strengthen oversight of the declaration, collection, foreign exchange repatriation, and payment of dues owed to the state.

While mining revenues form the main component of the campaign, the mission is not limited to the extractive sector. It also includes a review of the salary payment status of government employees and civil servants, as well as controls on non-tax revenues and public assets.

Inspectors are also to be deployed at strategic points to strengthen oversight of tax and customs revenues. The IGF described the operation as one of its most significant control mechanisms of the year.

Revenue Traceability

According to IGF deputy head Emmanuel Tshibingu, the mission is a continuation of actions undertaken since the start of the 2026 fiscal year. He stressed the rigorous standards expected in the investigations, the quality of the analyses, and the relevance of the reports produced, which are intended to serve as decision-making tools for public authorities.

The operation follows directions agreed at the 87th Council of Ministers meeting on April 24, 2026, at which President Félix Tshisekedi highlighted shortcomings in the mining revenue collection chain, from export operations through to public revenue collection.

The head of state had called for the launch, within 30 days, of a comprehensive audit of named entities covering compliance with export revenue repatriation obligations, the governance of joint ventures, and state mining assets.

The Council of Ministers' summary also pointed to opacity surrounding certain joint ventures, the non-repatriation of a portion of mining foreign exchange earnings, and losses linked to fraudulent imports. It called for a firm, traceable, and technically enforceable public response.

High Volumes

The audit drive comes as DRC mining exports have reached elevated levels. According to the April 24 Council of Ministers summary, copper exports rose from 3,100,234 tonnes in 2024 to 3,403,006.63 tonnes in 2025. Cobalt exports reached around 220,000 tonnes in 2024.

In February 2025, the DRC temporarily suspended cobalt exports before introducing a quota system starting in October of the same year. Those measures are part of a broader drive to better control volumes, flows, and the economic benefits of the sector.

For the IGF, the challenge now is to give the state a clearer picture of the revenues actually generated by the extractive sector and their effective contribution to public finances.

The institution points to results from its previous control operations. In 2025, it says it generated around $690 million in savings related to public debt repayments. It also says it detected 38,597 ghost workers and 1,007 duplicate entries in payroll files, with an estimated monthly impact of 15.786 billion Congolese francs.

The new mission will therefore need to establish whether the country's mining performance is in fact translating into stronger public revenue collection. Its findings could serve as the basis for corrective measures in mining revenue governance, state asset management, and monitoring compliance with foreign exchange repatriation obligations.

Ronsard Luabeya

Guilgal SA, a Congolese microfinance institution, sharply expanded its medium-term lending in 2025. According to its 2025 Pillar III Report, the outstanding balance in that loan category reached 58 billion Congolese francs at end-December, up from 34 billion a year earlier, a gain of 70.8%.

The increase added more than 24 billion francs to medium-term balances over the year, confirming a shift in the institution's portfolio toward longer maturities. That shift was the primary driver of overall loan portfolio growth.

Short-term lending, meanwhile, fell 24% to 39.7 billion francs. The contrasting trends altered the composition of Guilgal's credit book: in 2024, medium-term loans accounted for roughly 40% of combined short- and medium-term credit; by end-2025, they surpassed short-term loans in share.

The shift toward longer maturities coincided with a rise in average loan size. Outstanding credit per borrower climbed from 2.83 million to 3.57 million francs between 2024 and 2025. The number of borrowers rose 5.4% to 29,764 clients at end-December.

Credit risk

The portfolio expansion came as asset quality remained a concern. The portfolio at risk beyond 30 days, or PAR30, stood at 5.5% at end-2025, up from 3.9% a year earlier, slightly above the 5% benchmark cited in the report.

The picture was mixed. Overdue receivables fell 40%, from 21.5 billion francs in 2024 to 12.9 billion in 2025. The portfolio at risk beyond one day, or PAR1, also declined, from 20.5% to 11.9%.

The rise in the PAR30 ratio, however, showed that the most persistent repayment delays had yet to be fully addressed. Despite the decline in problem loans, some portfolio quality indicators remained above reference thresholds.

The report flagged two areas of concern for 2025: the PAR30 ratio and the loan write-off rate. The institution said it had implemented corrective measures through a dedicated strategic plan and had incorporated those risks into its business continuity plan.

Network expansion

That vigilance takes on added importance given that Guilgal is continuing to expand. To support business growth, the institution broadened its network with the opening of branches in Boma and Moanda, as well as service points in Lufu, in Kongo Central province, and at Rond-point Huileries in Kinshasa.

Staffing also increased. Guilgal's workforce grew from 512 to 670 employees over the year, a rise of 30.9%. The number of loan officers expanded from 203 to 251, strengthening loan disbursement and monitoring capacity.

The expansion was supported by a broader resource base. Medium- and long-term borrowings rose 22.6% to 55.4 billion francs, while guarantee and financing facilities grew by nearly 50% to 8.5 billion francs.

The challenge for Guilgal will be to sustain portfolio growth, particularly in medium-term maturities, while keeping credit risk in check. The surge in medium-term lending points to a more ambitious expansion strategy, but the PAR30 level is a reminder that such growth will need to remain tightly managed.

Boaz Kabeya 

The Democratic Republic of Congo is seeking to increase the participation of local businesses in major public projects carried out through public-private partnerships (PPPs). The issue was at the center of a June 2 meeting between the Agency for the Promotion of Congolese Middle Classes (APROCM) and the Public-Private Partnership Advisory and Coordination Unit (UC-PPP).

According to APROCM, the two institutions met to develop a framework that would facilitate access for Congolese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to opportunities generated by large PPP projects.

The collaboration is expected to include the development of a joint roadmap and the establishment of a joint monitoring team, with the aim of better integrating national SMEs into contracts linked to major public projects.

Access to Markets

Among the approaches discussed are reserved quotas for Congolese SMEs, subcontracting opportunities for local startups, and knowledge-transfer initiatives tied to major infrastructure projects.

These mechanisms are intended to prevent PPP projects from benefiting only large companies that already possess substantial technical, financial, and organizational capacity. They are designed to provide local SMEs with gradual access to more structured markets while strengthening their capabilities.

APROCM Director General Tchelo Mazombo Pascal said the objective is to enable Congolese entrepreneurs to learn alongside major corporations through the exchange of expertise. He described the approach as a way to accelerate the development of the national business ecosystem.

UC-PPP Director General François Ngenyi said the initiative could contribute to job creation and support the emergence of Congolese entrepreneurs capable of playing a more active role in the country's major economic projects.

Implementation Expected

The framework remains to be defined in detail. APROCM's communication does not yet specify the quotas under consideration, the eligibility criteria for SMEs, the PPP projects concerned, or a timeline for implementation.

The initiative is linked to the presidential program Debout Jeunes Congolais, whose launch is scheduled for June 30. In February, the government referred to a financing package of between $650 million and $1.3 billion to be mobilized over six years to support youth employment and entrepreneurship.

The challenge now will be to translate this policy direction into binding and measurable mechanisms. For Congolese SMEs, access to PPP opportunities will depend not only on reserved quotas or contract packages, but also on their ability to meet the technical, financial, and governance requirements associated with major public projects.

Ronsard Luabeya

Traffic on the Mambasa-Beni corridor has been disrupted again following the collapse of the Ituri II bridge on National Road 44. The structure gave way on Sunday, June 7, cutting off traffic along the strategic route linking Ituri province to North Kivu, according to the Mambasa territorial branch of the Nouvelle Société Civile Congolaise (NSCC).

Spanning the Ituri River, the Ituri II bridge is a key crossing for transporters, traders and travelers moving between Mambasa in Ituri and Beni in North Kivu. The corridor also supports trade with other parts of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including Tshopo province.

The latest disruption affects a region already weakened by insecurity caused by attacks by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels. Local stakeholders warn that the suspension of traffic could complicate market supplies, restrict the movement of people and hamper the transport of goods between the two provinces.

The incident has renewed concerns about the bridge's durability. The Ituri II bridge previously collapsed on March 13, 2023, after an overloaded truck crossed it, causing a prolonged interruption of traffic along the Mambasa-Beni route.

After several months of rehabilitation work carried out by the Roads Authority (Office des Routes) with support from the National Road Maintenance Fund (FONER), traffic officially resumed in March 2024. Authorities urged road users to comply with weight restrictions to protect the infrastructure.

Logistical Impact

Concerns about the bridge's condition had already been raised in recent months. Local sources reported the deteriorating state of several structures along the Makeke-Mambasa corridor, including the Ituri II bridge, in March 2026, prompting restrictions on heavy vehicles.

For businesses and transport operators, the latest disruption could drive up logistics costs. During the 2023 collapse, transporters were forced to rely on pirogue crossings, leading to delays, higher expenses and difficulties moving goods across the river.

The interruption could also reduce revenues generated by road traffic and commercial activity in the area, as was reported during the previous closure. No official estimate of economic losses or timeline for repairs has yet been announced.

The immediate priority is to conduct a technical assessment of the structure, determine the causes of the collapse and establish a temporary solution to restore traffic between Mambasa and Beni.

 Boaz Kabeya

Copper Intelligence has acquired a second exploration permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding its footprint into the south of the country after an initial entry in North Kivu. The company announced the acquisition of exploration permit PR-15880, covering the Kitungu project in Kasenga territory, Haut-Katanga province.

In a statement dated April 29, 2026, the company said the permit covers 764.55 hectares in the Congolese Copperbelt, approximately 73 kilometers in a straight line from Lubumbashi. The site is accessible from the provincial capital via National Road 5.

The acquisition marks a further step in Copper Intelligence's strategy in the DRC. The company had previously entered North Kivu through the Butembo copper project, where it says exploration work is ongoing, including preparations for a drilling campaign.

Historical data

Copper Intelligence targets assets with existing preliminary geological indicators. At Butembo, the project's appeal rested partly on surface sampling results and data from artisanal shafts and exploration trenches, with copper grades of up to 18% reported in selected samples. Those results remain preliminary and do not constitute a certified resource estimate.

For the Kitungu project, the rationale for the acquisition rests in part on historical data. According to Copper Intelligence, previous operators had estimated the presence of approximately 18.2 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 1.74% copper.

Reinterpreting the historical data using its own geological models, the company cited a broader conceptual estimate of up to approximately 27 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.54% copper. In a more conservative estimate focused on higher-grade zones, it referenced approximately 24.8 million tonnes at 1.62% copper.

Those figures should be treated with caution. They are based not on new drilling by Copper Intelligence but on a reinterpretation of older data, and they constitute neither mining reserves nor certified resources under international standards.

Exploration to be confirmed

The company noted that the nine historical drill holes available cover only a limited area of the project, spanning roughly 700 meters. That information points to potential extensions of the mineralized zone, which will need to be confirmed through additional work.

Copper Intelligence said it had also conducted preliminary economic simulations to test the project's potential. Those analyses remain early-stage and will depend on the results of future drilling, a necessary step before any resource estimate compliant with international standards and any industrial development decision can be made.

According to information available from the Mining Cadastre, permit PR-15880 was previously associated with Rock Mining SARL, a company that describes itself on its website as focused on the exploration and development of mining projects in the DRC.

The transaction comes amid intensifying international competition for copper and critical minerals as industrial players seek to secure new sources of supply.

At this stage, Copper Intelligence's assets in the DRC remain in the exploration phase. Any eventual development will depend on drilling results, resource certification, technical and economic studies, and the necessary regulatory approvals.

Timothée Manoke