Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa recently met with DP World executives in Dubai(UAE). They discussed the Banana deepwater port project, which DP World is developing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

According to the Emirati executives, the first phase of the project, originally due in 2025, could be finished in 2026. Suminwa noted that DP World has promised to get the first ships landing "as early as next year, 2026," provided everything goes smoothly.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed her government's commitment to seeing the project through. "We're showing that the DRC and the President of the Republic, through the government,  are truly dedicated to completing this project," she said.

Launched in 2022, the project faced setbacks in 2024, “due to financial and technical issues.” However, after a breakthrough in September, work resumed in October. 

Last March, DP World awarded Mota-Engil a $250 million contract to complete the first phase of the project–building a 600-meter quay, developing a 30 ha storage area, and setting up modern container facilities with an annual processing capacity of 450,000 containers. 

Strategically located in the Kongo-Central province, the port will give the DRC direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, bypassing neighboring countries' ports.

This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya (intern)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho