Egyptian engineering firm Safrimex, contracted to rehabilitate urban roads across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has secured assurances of pending payments after days of negotiations, averting a potential work stoppage. On March 12, 2025, Venant Burume Muhigirwa, Deputy General Manager of the Office de Voirie et Drainage (OVD), confirmed that the Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works had urged the Finance Ministry to expedite payments to the company. This followed a visit by Kasaï-Oriental Governor Jean-Paul Mbuebua Kapo to Mbujimayi to inspect ongoing road modernization and erosion control projects.

The resolution came after Safrimex’s provincial director, Rida Mroue, on March 8, told Governor Kapo that cash flow constraints—exacerbated by the country’s ongoing conflict—threatened to halt operations. OVD provincial director Trésor Kashala acknowledged the company’s financial strain, noting that “in this times of war, Safrimex had sought relief from the Finance Ministry to continue work”. National deputy Tobi Kayumbi further pressured authorities by submitting a written inquiry to the Finance Minister on March 11 regarding the delayed execution of road and erosion control projects in Mbujimayi.

Safrimex, a subsidiary of Egypt’s Socimex group, has been active in the DRC since 2022 under the $138 million “Tshilejelu” program. The initiative aims to build 142 km of roads nationwide, including 25.32 km in Mbujimayi, 72 km in Kinshasa, and smaller projects in Kabinda, Lusambo, Kananga, Mwene-Ditu, and Tshikapa. By November 2024, OVD reported a 30% completion rate in Kasaï-Oriental, though progress has been complicated by the DRC’s escalating security crisis in eastern regions.

Ronsard Luabeya (intern)