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The British International Investment (BII), the development finance institution of the United Kingdom government, is evaluating investment opportunities in the telecommunications and postal sectors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A delegation led by Africa Director Christopher Chijiutomi met on November 11, 2025, with the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, José Mpanda Kabangu.
With a global portfolio of $8 billion and investing nearly $1 billion a year in various projects worldwide, BII is seeking to understand the ministry’s priorities in order to assess possible areas of cooperation, Christopher Chijiutomi said.
For his part, Minister José Mpanda outlined the sector’s major challenges, including reducing the digital divide and improving nationwide connectivity. He noted that the DRC has only 4,000 km of fiber optic cable, while nearly 50,000 km would be needed to connect all 145 territories of the country.
To attract investors, the government has introduced fiscal incentives, including lowering the levy from $3,000 to $5 per kilometer of fiber optic installed. The minister also highlighted the need to strengthen telecom infrastructure, pointing out that the country has only 5,150 towers for an estimated requirement of 30,000 to ensure adequate coverage, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
José Mpanda also presented to BII the project to create a postal bank and relaunch the national postal service through a public-private partnership with the Société commerciale des Postes et Télécommunications.
Based in London and owned by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), BII supports sustainable growth in developing countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. Its investments cover energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, and finance through loans and equity stakes.
- Digital economy minister visited Huawei’s training center in Hangzhou
- Talks focused on creating a Congolese AI academy under the 2026–2030 plan
- Huawei is considered a technical partner due to its global ICT training expertise
Digital Economy Minister Augustin Kibassa Maliba carried out a working visit on November 10, 2025, to Huawei’s training center in Hangzhou, in the People’s Republic of China, according to a statement from the ministry’s press office.
The mission focused on cooperation between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Huawei in artificial intelligence (AI) training, as part of the National Digital Plan 2026–2030 and the country’s first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
Discussions centered on the creation of a Congolese artificial intelligence academy, a government project designed to train specialists, support applied research, and develop solutions tailored to local needs, especially in agriculture, health, and mining.
According to the official communication, Huawei was approached as a technical partner for the project due to its global experience in information and communication technology training, including through the Huawei ICT Competition, an international event that brought together more than 210,000 students and instructors in its latest edition.
This development follows the memorandum of understanding signed on May 23, 2025, between the DRC and Huawei on the “smart village” pilot project, aimed at improving Internet access, connecting local public services, and training young people in digital skills.
The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship (MINEDUNC) announced on November 11, 2025, the relocation of teacher salary payments in the Kwilu 3 education province to Equity BCDC in order to “improve payment regularity and transparency,” according to an official statement. Until this decision, the operation had been handled by Afriland First Bank DRC.
The measure follows several complaints from the Kwilu 3 teachers’ union platform, which, by the end of August — just days before the start of the 2025–2026 school year — denounced unpaid salaries dating back to May and threatened to boycott classes.
As early as June 2025, the union had accused Afriland First Bank of applying selective payment. Interviewed by Radio Okapi, Gilbert Empom, a union representative in Kwilu 3, said the bank was paying salaries only to staff in managerial offices, representing about 9 % of the province’s workforce, according to data from the National Directorate for Control, Payroll Preparation and Workforce Management (DINACOPE).
In addition to these delays, the union reported practices considered abusive. In a memorandum cited by Radio Okapi in August and addressed to the administrator of the Idiofa territory, teachers denounced the use of checks, often difficult to cash, as well as the refusal to exchange torn banknotes, which are rejected in the local market.
In response, the government has tasked Equity BCDC with managing salary payments for teachers and administrative staff in Kwilu 3. DINACOPE is responsible for overseeing the transition to ensure a smooth and transparent process.
According to MINEDUNC data published on the DINACOPE website, the Kwilu 3 education province had, as of February 2025, 2,368 budgeted schools and more than 28,297 staff, with a monthly payroll estimated at 24.5 billion Congolese francs.
The Congolese Agency for Major Works (ACGT) is gearing up to rehabilitate the Nsioni-Mbaka-Khosi Road, a key route linking the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Angola through the southwestern province of Kongo Central.
According to a statement released on Nov. 9, 2025, a team of engineers has been in the province since Nov. 6 gathering technical data to design the rehabilitation plans. The team, led by Âgée Mavambu, Deputy Director of the Studies Department, is focusing on two sections: Nsioni-Mbata-Mbengi (44 km) and Mbata-Mbengi-Mbaka-Khosi (28 km). It is working under the supervision of Babi Kundu Mavungu, ACGT’s Provincial Director for Kongo Central.
“The goal of our mission is to prepare for the rehabilitation of the Nsioni-Mbaka-Khosi Road, a key route connecting the DRC and Angola,” said Mavungu. “This road is not just about transport; it sustains the economic life of the entire region. Its rehabilitation represents hope and the promise of new economic opportunities.”
The data collected will allow ACGT to draw up technical plans and propose infrastructure solutions suited to the terrain.
The project falls under the government’s national policy to modernize transport infrastructure, especially routes linking the DRC with neighboring countries. Last October, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa launched paving work on two other cross-border routes connecting to Angola: Moanda-Yema and Kwilu-Ngongo-Kimpangu.
Boaz Kabeya
Kibali, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest gold mine, produced 191,000 ounces of gold in the third quarter of 2025, Barrick Mining said in its financial report released on November 10. That’s a 21% increase from the 159,000 ounces recorded in the same period of 2024.
Barrick attributed the improvement to the ramp-up of open-pit operations at the Kibali mining complex, where extracted ore volumes rose by 133% during the quarter. The increase offset a decline in underground mine output.
From January to September 2025, total production reached 498,000 ounces, slightly below the 509,000 ounces recorded over the same period last year. To meet its annual target of between 688,000 and 755,000 ounces, Kibali will need to produce between 190,000 and 257,000 ounces in the fourth quarter. That would require an additional rise of at least 19.5%, following the 21% increase already achieved in the third quarter.
Such performance would benefit the Congolese state, which owns 10% of the mine through the state company SOKIMO and collects various taxes and other statutory fees in addition to dividends. These include a 30% corporate profit tax, a 3.5% mining royalty on gross sales, and a 0.3% local development contribution based on turnover.
A persistent challenge, however, is improving the valuation of the gold sold. Official data show that in 2024, artisanal cooperatives exported their gold at an average price of $72,873.9 per ton, compared with $53,542.4 per ton for Kibali, a difference of $19,331 per ton. This discrepancy is hard to explain, given that Kibali uses advanced technology and expertise that should, in principle, secure higher international market prices.
Pierre Mukoko
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Rural Development, Grégoire Mutshail Mutomb, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Primex CEO Guyshell Bengou. The agreement covers a pilot project to provide clean water to Lutendele, a community in the Mont-Ngafula commune on the outskirts of Kinshasa.
The project will install a solar-powered water supply system to improve access to drinking water for local residents.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Rural Development, the initiative is part of the Suminwa government’s plan to modernize rural infrastructure, with a key goal of ensuring sustainable access to safe water in rural and peri-urban areas.
Primex, the company leading the project, specializes in solar water systems, chemical-free purification, and hybrid renewable energy solutions. During the signing ceremony, Primex CEO Guyshell Bengou said that British engineers from Green Power Technology will take part in the technical phase, configuring the solar setup and calibrating the pumping units.
The final agreement has yet to be signed, but the Ministry said construction will begin soon at the Lutendele site. Functional and water-quality tests will be carried out before the model is replicated in other rural communities.
Boaz Kabeya
M23 rebels are trying to restart gold mining operations at the Twangiza gold site, operated by China’s Twangiza Mining in South Kivu province. The move follows a series of airstrikes by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) targeting the mine’s power facilities to disrupt the rebels’ illegal gold operations.
According to local outlet Tazama RDC, the Rwanda-backed rebels have been working since last week to resume gold extraction at the site, which they have controlled since May 2025. Several local sources say a new fuel storage tank has been delivered to replace one destroyed in the FARDC strikes. A backup generator that survived the October bombings is also being reactivated to restore power and allow for a partial restart of production.
Internal sources at Twangiza Mining estimate total losses since the occupation at nearly $75 million, including more than 500 kilograms of looted gold and extensive damage to or theft of equipment. The site’s profitability makes Twangiza one of M23’s key revenue sources, underscoring the group’s push to resume mining despite repeated army attacks.
In October, Reuters reported that the rebels were receiving assistance from Rwandan technicians to operate the mine and expand the extraction zone. That expansion reportedly involved forcing residents from their homes and destroying several nearby churches. The situation reflects M23’s strategy to build an economic base in areas under its control, even as military and diplomatic efforts continue to end the conflict.
Timothée Manoke
The Ministry of Agriculture launched a Steering Committee (COPIL) on November 7, 2025, to oversee two agricultural projects in Songololo, Kongo Central province, with a combined budget of $32 million. Implemented by the One Ancre Fund and initiated in December 2024 and June 2025, respectively, the projects had not yet entered their operational phase. According to Ministry Secretary-General Damas Mamba, the creation of the committee marks the formal start of implementation.
The COPIL is tasked with supervising and coordinating project execution. Its responsibilities include approving annual work plans and budgets, validating progress and financial reports, and reviewing recommendations from project monitoring committees. The committee will also address operational challenges, assess institutional arrangements, and approve any necessary budget adjustments in line with the procedures of the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and the National REDD+ Fund (FONAREDD).
The first project, titled “Smallholder Deforestation-Free Agriculture,” is financed by CAFI with $2 million for an 11-month period. Officially launched on December 22, 2024, it seeks to encourage smallholders to adopt sustainable farming practices, particularly by moving away from slash-and-burn cultivation in forested areas.
The second project, “Supply of Inputs and Stabilization of Smallholder Agriculture,” benefits from $30 million in FONAREDD funding over three years. Launched on June 30, 2025, it aims to improve smallholder productivity and promote more stable and sustainable agricultural practices in the region.
Both initiatives focus on three core objectives: distributing certified local seeds to increase yields, promoting the “farmer-entrepreneur” model to support the creation of rural microenterprises, and introducing Payments for Environmental Services (PES) to reward sustainable farming and reforestation.
Ronsard Luabeya
The World Bank expects tin prices to rise by around 10% in 2025, followed by further gains of 3% in 2026 and 1.5% in 2027.
In its October 2025 Commodity Markets Outlook, the institution forecasts that prices will climb from $30,066 per ton in 2024 to $33,000 in 2025, $34,000 in 2026, and $34,500 in 2027. The outlook for the first two years was revised upward by $2,000 and $2,500, respectively, from the April 2025 projections.
The Bank attributes the rise to persistent tightness in global supply. “The global tin market is likely to remain tight, given the limited pipeline of new projects and continued vulnerability to geopolitical and operational disruptions,” the World Bank said.
Prices are expected to keep increasing despite a partial recovery in supply, particularly in Indonesia, where export license delays have been resolved, and in Myanmar, where several mines idled since 2023 have resumed production. Global demand is set to stay strong, supported by rising output of semiconductors, solar panels, and other energy-transition technologies.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of Africa’s leading tin producers, is closely watching these developments. In 2024, the country exported 42,953 tons of tin concentrate, according to official data. Most exports came from Alphamin, operator of the Bisie mine (26,932 tons), with the rest (15,853 tons) from artisanal miners.
Price Gap Limits DRC Revenue
The DRC is benefiting little from the price rally due to the lack of local refining capacity. The World Bank’s benchmark prices refer to refined tin, while the DRC exports only concentrate. This gap limits value addition, reduces earnings for artisanal miners, and cuts tax revenue for both central and provincial governments.
In 2024, Alphamin’s 26,932 tons of concentrate exports were valued at $348.6 million, or roughly $12,946 per ton. By comparison, the 17,865 tons of refined metal derived from that output were sold for $542 million, averaging more than $30,300 per ton, according to company data. The difference highlights the significant fiscal losses faced by the state, which collects royalties on concentrate rather than on refined metal.
Congolese tin exports could decline in 2025 amid a worsening security situation in the east of the country, the main production area. Facing the advance of AFC/M23 rebels, Alphamin suspended operations in March before resuming mid-April but later revised its annual forecast downward. The company now expects to produce 18,500 tons in 2025, compared with an initial target of 20,000 tons.
The ongoing conflict is also likely to cut into artisanal exports through formal channels. A 2022 Global Witness report estimated that about 90% of 3T minerals (tantalum, tin, and tungsten) exported by Rwanda were already being sourced illegally from the DRC.
Pierre Mukoko
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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Minister of Digital Economy, Augustin Kibassa Maliba, met with Alibaba Group and Isoftstone Corporate officials in China.
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The discussions focused on adapting the Chinese e-commerce model for implementation in the DRC.
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The parties agreed to create a joint working group to formulate concrete proposals for e-commerce development.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Minister of Digital Economy, Augustin Kibassa Maliba, met with executives from Alibaba Group and Isoftstone Corporate, two major players in the digital sector. The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the Sino-African Forum on Economic, Trade, and Cultural Cooperation, held on November 7, 2025, in Jinhua, China.
The Ministry of Digital Economy reported the exchanges focused on the Chinese e-commerce model and its potential adaptation in the DRC. Participants addressed several key subjects, including regulation, technology, and establishing an effective digital ecosystem.
Consequently, the parties agreed to establish a joint working group. This group holds the mandate of deepening the reflection and formulating concrete proposals for e-commerce development in the DRC. The Ministry specified technical meetings will occur in the coming days. These meetings aim to finalize a strategic report for Minister Kibassa. This document will serve as the foundation for implementing a simplified and accessible national e-commerce model, particularly benefiting young Congolese entrepreneurs.
Alibaba Group, which Jack Ma founded in 1999, reaffirmed its interest in the African market. The Chinese giant considers the DRC a strategic hub for expanding its activities across the continent. Alibaba operates across online commerce, cloud computing, digital finance, logistics, and entertainment. The company utilizes platforms such as Alibaba.com, Taobao, Tmall, AliExpress, and Alipay, forming an integrated ecosystem connecting merchants, consumers, and service providers.
Founded in 2001, Isoftstone Group specializes in information technologies and digital transformation. The company provides solutions in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data, and smart cities. Isoftstone targets governments and companies operating in the telecommunications, energy, transport, finance, and health sectors.
This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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The copper and cobalt sites of the Chinese company Congo Dongfang Mining (CDM) in Lubumbashi have been suspended. The measure, announced on November 6, 2025, by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, will last an initial three months.
It targets the company’s operations following a major industrial pollution incident that affected several neighborhoods across the city.
During the suspension period, which may be extended, the copper and cobalt producer is required to continue paying all site staff in full, the minister said. CDM must also repair the environmental damage, compensate affected residents, and pay fines provided for in the Mining Code and applicable regulations.
Local media reported that contaminated water began leaking from CDM’s facilities in the Kasapa area of the Annexe commune, north of Lubumbashi, as early as Monday, November 3. The situation worsened sharply on November 4, when large volumes of water from the company’s retention pond spilled into surrounding areas, flooding in particular the Moïse market, which serves much of the city’s north.
Retention ponds are industrial basins designed to store and neutralize liquid effluents from mineral processing before discharge into the environment. A breach can release acidic, heavy metal-laden effluents that severely contaminate soil, homes, and waterways.
Eyewitnesses reported residents suffering skin burns after contact with the water, while viral images on social media showed dead domestic animals and fish floating in polluted streams, including the Lubumbashi River.
Minister Watum rushed to Lubumbashi on the night of November 5-6 to assess the situation. Onsite, CDM officials attributed the leak to a falling stone that they said damaged the pond’s impermeable lining and caused the toxic discharge.
The explanation failed to convince the minister, who posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account that the company’s discharge pond “does not meet any environmental standards, lacking an impermeable lining, structural stability, control mechanisms, or an emergency plan.”
Local media said the company took emergency measures to contain the pollution, including building a lime barrier to neutralize acidic water and using a pump to divert contaminated liquid into an old basin.
This is not the first incident involving CDM. Residents previously accused the company in 2022 of dumping polluted water into sewage systems and releasing toxic fumes from its operations.
The latest episode has reignited debate over the environmental accountability of mining companies in the DRC and the capacity of authorities to enforce strict standards in a sector often criticized for practices that endanger communities and ecosystems.
Timothée Manoke
Rehabilitation work on the strategically important Ulindi Bridge on National Road 31 (RN31) in Maniema province is now scheduled, a move expected to significantly boost agricultural and commercial trade in the region.
The announcement was made on November 4, 2025, in Kindu by Matthieu Kamulete Amisi, interim provincial coordinator of the Inclusive and Resilient Rural Development Support Program (PADRIR), during the second Conference on Mines, Energy and Infrastructure.
Amisi confirmed that the necessary funding for the project has been secured from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). While the total cost was not disclosed, technical studies are slated to begin in 2026, with rehabilitation work on the bridge expected to start in 2027.
The Ulindi Bridge, located between the towns of Kailo and Punia, is a key transport link for the province. Its restoration will reopen the RN31 to full traffic, connecting Kindu with major cities such as Kisangani, Goma, and Bukavu, and improving access to National Roads 1 and 2.
The project aims to ease the transport of farm goods and improve mobility for local residents. It is part of the PADRIR program, which seeks to strengthen road infrastructure, support regional economic growth, and improve market access in rural areas.
Boaz Kabeya
Fuel and food supplies to the city of Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk after a key section of National Road No. 27 (RN27), which links Bunia to Mahagi in Ituri province, became almost impassable.
The disruption stems from the severe deterioration of the Tchulu Bridge–Jina stretch, located about 40 kilometers north of Bunia. Heavy rains have turned the road into a quagmire, leaving around 450 trucks carrying goods and fuel stranded, according to several local sources.
The ongoing blockage threatens Bunia’s supply lines, where stocks of essential goods are reportedly dwindling, fueling fears of inflation, Radio Okapi reported, citing a representative of local civil society.
Transport operators had already raised alarms about the road’s poor condition in September. They now say the 180-kilometer journey between Bunia and Mahagi takes at least four days to complete, up from about four hours before.
Despite the road’s critical state, a rehabilitation project has been underway on this section for the past two years. The work was awarded to the company ORC Construct under a contract lasting three to five years, funded by the National Road Maintenance Fund (FONER). However, civil society organizations contend that progress has been insignificant, calling the project ineffective as the road continues to deteriorate.
As a vital trade route, the RN27 links Ituri to several East African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Its prolonged blockage threatens to inflict heavy damage on the local economy and is expected to push up the cost of living in Bunia.
Ronsard Luabeya
The governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have initialed the draft Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF) in Washington, D.C., on November 7, 2025, with U.S. facilitation.
The framework defines priority areas for economic cooperation and development between the two neighbors and is part of efforts to implement their June 27, 2025, peace agreement. The initialing took place during the fourth meeting of the joint monitoring committee overseeing the accord.
This step clears the way for the framework’s official signing, initially expected on September 27, 2025. However, Kinshasa reiterated that progress on the REIF depends on full implementation of the security commitments contained in the peace deal.
“The framework will take effect once the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and the operational order agreed by both sides are properly implemented,” the DRC Ministry of Communication and Media said in a statement released a day after the signing. “For the DRC, lasting peace must come before economic cooperation.”
Adopted in Luanda in October 2024, the CONOPS outlines plans to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and ensure the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congolese territory. The operational order, setting out implementation details, was due to take effect on October 1, 2025, but its enforcement remains uncertain.
The DRC’s communication ministry said the joint monitoring committee acknowledged delays in carrying out the peace accord and that both parties agreed on new measures to speed up implementation, though no specifics were disclosed.
The execution of the CONOPS also partly depends on stalled negotiations between the DRC and the AFC/M23 rebels. Talks meant to produce a final agreement by August 18, 2025, under the Doha declaration of principles signed on July 19, have yet to yield results. This indicates that the resumption of economic cooperation between Kinshasa and Kigali remains uncertain for now.
The REIF targets five areas of cooperation: agriculture, energy, mining, telecommunications, and infrastructure. As set out in the peace accord, both countries aim to use the framework to boost cross-border trade, attract investment in critical mineral supply chains, and enhance transparency in resource management. The goal is to curb illicit trade networks and promote shared prosperity, particularly for local communities.
U.S. officials said successful implementation of the framework could attract new international investors, including American firms. Several companies in the critical minerals and energy sectors are pushing for the swift conclusion of the deal, which underpins multiple regional development projects.
Pierre Mukoko