News (638)
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE) has issued a competitive tender for a hydroelectric power project at the Nfuka Mukaji falls in Haut-Lomami province. The expressions of interest call, published on Dec. 24, 2025, concerns a 94.5-MW power plant to be privately financed.
The tender follows an application for a concession submitted by Umeme Energy Sarl. After reviewing the application, the regulator determined that the project is located on public land. Under the country’s electricity law, this classification requires the ARE to open the project to competition.
Interested parties are invited to submit documentation demonstrating their capacity to develop and operate an electricity generation facility. Required elements include technical expertise, financial capacity, a track record in comparable completed projects, and the availability of qualified human resources.
The process is open only to Congolese individuals or legal entities that meet the criteria set out in the electricity law and its implementing regulations.
Expressions of interest must be submitted in a sealed envelope to the ARE headquarters in Kinshasa-Gombe by Dec. 31, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. Kinshasa time.
Following the review of applications, the ARE may establish a shortlist of up to five operators, depending on the number and quality of submissions that meet regulatory requirements.
Boaz Kabeya
CRDB Bank Congo, the Congolese subsidiary of Tanzania’s CRDB Bank Group, has opened a branch in Kinshasa, the capital, more than two years after securing an operating licence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The new branch, located in the Gombe municipality, marks the bank’s first physical presence in Kinshasa, the country’s largest banking market. Previously, CRDB Bank Congo operated only in Lubumbashi, where its headquarters are based.
The opening ceremony on Dec. 12 was attended by Kinshasa’s provincial minister for finance, economy and digitalisation, Magloire Kabemba Kabemba, representing the city’s governor, the bank said. Officials from the public and private sectors, including representatives of the Central Bank of Congo and Tanzania’s ambassador to the DRC, were also present.
The move is in line with the group’s strategy. In its 2024 annual report, CRDB said its Congolese subsidiary had launched targeted initiatives to attract strategic clients in Kinshasa, while strengthening brand visibility and laying the groundwork for market entry.
Kinshasa dominates national banking activity. A 2023 study by consultancy Target Sarl found that 42% of the country’s bank branches and service points were located in the capital.
The Kinshasa branch could allow CRDB Bank Congo to broaden its client base and reduce its reliance on government securities. The bank’s earnings remain heavily concentrated in Treasury bonds.
According to its first-half 2025 Pillar 3 report, interest income from Treasury bonds reached about 8 billion Congolese francs, accounting for roughly 77% of net banking income of 10.4 billion francs. Net interest and commission income from customer operations, including lending, totalled 1.6 billion francs, or around 15.6% of the period’s net banking income.
Timothée Manoke
With its air operator’s certificate (AOC) set to expire in December, Congo Airways has acquired an 18-year-old Embraer E190 to retain its license. The 90-seat aircraft enables the airline to avoid losing the certificate, which would have suspended its flying rights, voided insurance cover and invalidated commercial agreements. Losing the AOC would also have forced the carrier to restart a lengthy and costly certification process.
The aircraft, previously operated by Dominican airline Sky High, underwent maintenance in Toulouse, France, before arriving at Kinshasa’s N’djili International Airport on Dec. 24.
The deal forms part of a partnership between Congo Airways and the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), which holds a 31% stake in the carrier. The aircraft remains owned by the CNSS and is being leased to the airline under undisclosed terms, according to sources. CNSS officials said two additional aircraft are expected to join the fleet.
The acquisition comes as Congo Airways seeks to restart operations. The airline has been grounded since April 12, 2025, following the expiration of wet-lease contracts with Lithuanian company KlasJet. Its own aircraft remain out of service due to technical problems, including a shortage of engines and inadequate maintenance. The carrier is also burdened by significant commercial and social debts.
A turnaround plan presented in late January 2025 includes the acquisition of three Airbus A320s through lease or purchase over five years, along with a reorganisation of governance. The plan depends on financial support from public authorities, particularly the CNSS and the Congolese state.
A new management team was appointed in January 2025, with Alexandre Tshikala Mukendi named director general and Mamitsho Pontshia as deputy director general. The process later stalled. In November, at the Makutano Forum, Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba said implementation of the plan was blocked by the CNSS’s refusal to guarantee a bank loan.
Weakened by persistent financial and technical difficulties, Congo Airways saw its operational fleet shrink from four aircraft to two before a complete suspension of activities in July 2024 due to recurrent technical failures.
After several months of efforts, the airline said in a Nov. 3, 2024 statement that it would gradually resume operations, with an initial flight scheduled for Nov. 10, before suspending activities again on April 12, 2025.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended the activities of all artisanal copper-cobalt mineral processing entities across the country since December 19, 2025, under an order signed by Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba.
The decision directly targets the downstream segment that makes illegal mining economically viable. A processing entity is defined as an individual business, commercial company, or mining cooperative that uses mineralogical and/or metallurgical processes to produce marketable mineral products, such as concentrates or refined metals. These entities are authorized to source minerals from artisanal miners, traders, approved mining cooperatives, and even from operating mining concessions.
According to the order, the suspension is a precautionary measure aimed at enabling a comprehensive audit. An ad hoc commission has been established to verify the administrative, legal, and technical compliance of all processing entities, as well as the traceability and lawful origin of the minerals they process.
While a separate order will define the commission’s composition and operating procedures, the current text sets out a tight timeline. Suspended entities have ten days from notification to submit documentation proving compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, along with evidence of the lawful origin of their supplies. The commission will then have fifteen days from receipt of a complete file to conduct its review and must submit its report to the minister within seven working days after the audit ends. Any resumption of activity will depend on operators’ ability to demonstrate compliance.
The mines minister said the decision was justified by findings that several processing entities were sourcing minerals from industrial concessions without authorization from rights holders, fueling encroachment and fraud. He also said these entities were failing to comply with OECD due diligence standards, undermining the international credibility of Congolese mineral products.
Decision welcomed by industrial miners
The move has been welcomed by several industrial mining operators. A member of the Chamber of Mines of the Federation of Congolese Enterprises said many processing entities violate regulations and enrich criminal networks involved in mineral theft. The federation estimates that Eurasian Resources Group alone has lost close to $3 billion due to the spoliation of its deposits.
Beyond easing pressure on industrial concessions and restoring the credibility of Congolese exports, the measure could also strengthen the role of the state-owned Enterprise Générale du Cobalt. To enable its Gécamines subsidiary to fully exercise its legal monopoly over the trade in artisanal strategic minerals such as cobalt, President Félix Tshisekedi had called in June for strict enforcement of rules and sanctions against plants and processing entities illegally purchasing artisanal cobalt outside the EGC framework.
In the short term, the suspension could disrupt the artisanal mining ecosystem and create social tensions, particularly for cooperatives and local traders. The shutdown of artisanal copper and cobalt processing units is expected to cause an immediate loss of market outlets for the sector, with the overall impact depending on the state’s ability to enforce the decision.
Although artisanal mining contributes only marginally to national copper and cobalt output, it is estimated to employ between 1.5 million and 2 million Congolese people and indirectly support more than 10 million livelihoods, according to EGC estimates.
Pierre Mukoko
- Works at the Maluku site are scheduled to start in early 2026
- Project includes a $12 billion Sino-Congolese industrial city
- A €133 million hospital complex will also be built under the plan
The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to begin construction work on the Kinshasa city expansion project in the first quarter of 2026. The timeline was confirmed on December 22, 2025, during the official groundbreaking ceremony led by President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo at Maluku, on the eastern outskirts of the capital.
The ceremony marked the launch of two flagship components of the project: the Sino-Congolese Industrial City and the Infirmière Maman Marthe Kasalu hospital platform. According to the Strategic Supervisory Committee for the Kinshasa City Extension Project (CSSPEVK), the event formally initiated the project phase, with physical works expected to start in early 2026.
The Sino-Congolese Industrial City stems from a cooperation agreement signed in October 2025 between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sino-Congo Special Economic Development Zone (SCSZ) consortium. The project represents an estimated investment of about $12 billion.
It provides for the phased installation of 1,200 factories over a five-year period, structured into industrial parks averaging 20 factories each. The presidency said the industrial city is expected to create up to 225,000 direct jobs once fully operational, including 30,000 jobs in its first year of activity.
The Infirmière Maman Marthe Kasalu hospital platform is designed as a multidisciplinary medical complex with subregional reach, specializing in oncology and advanced medical care. The facility will cover a built-up area of 36,000 square meters within a 10-hectare site.
The project also includes the construction of a heliport to support medical evacuations and critical interventions. Implementation of the hospital infrastructure has been entrusted to the Belgian-Moroccan consortium IIDG/TGCC.
Financing for the hospital platform is being provided through a joint credit facility from France’s public investment bank Bpifrance and Germany’s Commerzbank, amounting to a total of €133 million.
Boaz Kabeya
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Company is assessing the economic viability of copper at Bisie North
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Ongoing metallurgical tests target copper zones above tin mineralization
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Tin remains the main exploration focus at the project
UK-based Rome Resources is assessing the economic potential of copper mining at its Bisie North project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In an update published on December 23, 2025, the company said it is on track to finalize studies under way, at a site where tin remains, at this stage, the primary exploration target.
Over the course of the year, Rome Resources commissioned metallurgical work to assess processing methods that could allow for the economic recovery of significant copper resources located above the tin zones at Mount Agoma. The first phase of this work is nearing completion, with results expected soon, according to the company.
Published in late October 2025, Rome Resources’ maiden resource estimate highlighted the polymetallic nature of Bisie North. The estimate identified 10,600 tons of tin and 46,900 tons of copper. It is this copper potential that the company is now seeking to better develop through the metallurgical work currently in progress.
The studies involve a series of tests designed to assess the conditions under which copper extraction could be economically viable. This includes identifying the most suitable processing method and evaluating the quality of the final product.
By focusing on the copper resources at Bisie North, Rome Resources is also positioning itself in a strategic market. Copper is essential to key sectors such as electronics, renewable energy, and electric mobility and is now widely regarded as a critical metal. In this context, the International Energy Agency has warned of a potential supply shortfall by 2035, driven by demand expected to rise sharply.
Rome Resources’ ability to capitalize on these opportunities will depend on the outcome of the ongoing work, with no indication at this stage of its likelihood of success. In the meantime, the company plans to continue exploration activities, including the launch of a new drilling campaign in the first quarter of 2026.
Aurel Sèdjro Houenou, Ecofin Agency
The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo signed an agreement on December 20, 2025, to share up to 30 MW of electricity. The contract was concluded between the Congolese national power utility SNEL SA and Énergie électrique du Congo (E2C SAU) during a ceremony attended by the two countries’ energy ministers, Aimé Sakombi Molendo for the DR Congo and Émile Ouosso for the Republic of Congo.
Until now, the power interconnection between the two countries had operated without a structured contractual framework, limiting effective management of electricity flows and financial reconciliation. The new agreement establishes a formal basis for cooperation, covering power exchanges, billing and settlement, and the development of regional energy integration projects intended to benefit consumers on both sides of the Congo River.
To oversee implementation, the two utilities have set up a joint commission, which will serve as a permanent consultation mechanism between SNEL and E2C.
According to a statement from the Congolese Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity, the agreement concludes three years of negotiations. These talks led to consensus on key technical, commercial, and financial parameters, including the maximum exchange capacity of 30 MW, pricing mechanisms, power quality standards, and operational monitoring arrangements.
Minister Aimé Sakombi Molendo said the establishment of a clear, consensual, and transparent contractual framework marks a decisive step toward more structured and sustainable energy cooperation. His counterpart, Émile Ouosso, highlighted the central role of electricity in supporting industrial and social development in both countries.
The electrical interconnection between the DR Congo and the Republic of Congo dates back to 1982 and is described as one of the earliest examples of energy integration in Central Africa, aligned with the regional power pool. Both countries are also involved in another project, known as the Energy Friendship Loop, which aims to secure electricity supply for Kinshasa, Brazzaville, and Cabinda by linking them to major generation centers, including Inga in the DR Congo and Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo.
Ronsard Luabeya
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said its Executive Board has approved the immediate disbursement of $442.4 million to the Democratic Republic of Congo following the second review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the first review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
The decision brings total IMF disbursements to the country to about $779.7 million since the start of the year.
The approval comes as the country continues to face a difficult security environment, alongside recurring health crises such as Ebola outbreaks, which continue to weigh on public finances.
Despite these challenges, the IMF said the Congolese economy remains broadly resilient. Economic growth is expected to exceed 5% in both 2025 and 2026, driven mainly by strong performance in the mining sector, particularly copper.
The Fund also highlighted a sharp decline in inflation during 2025. Inflation fell to 2.2% in November 2025, from 11.7% at end-2024. This improvement allowed the Central Bank of Congo to ease monetary policy, cutting its key policy rate from 25% to 17.5% in October. The IMF said this trend reflects a gradual strengthening of macroeconomic stability.
The institution noted progress in the implementation of reforms under the IMF-supported programs, both on the fiscal and structural fronts. Most program targets were met, despite pressures linked to higher security spending. Advances were also recorded in governance reforms, public finance management, and efforts to strengthen resilience to climate shocks.
The IMF nonetheless urged the authorities to maintain strict budget discipline, protect social spending amid a challenging humanitarian context, and accelerate reforms aimed at improving transparency, strengthening anti-corruption and AML/CFT frameworks, and enhancing the business climate.
“Advancing reforms to improve governance and transparency, strengthen anti-corruption and AML/CFT frameworks and enhance the business climate is critical for supporting private sector development and promoting diversified, sustainable, and inclusive growth,” the IMF said.
Sandrine Gaingne
The first limestone extraction blast under Project Albatros took place in December 2025 in Lubudi, in the Lualaba province. The project results from a partnership between Ciments du Katanga (Cimentkat or Cimenkat) and PPC Barnet RDC and focuses on the exploitation of a high-grade limestone deposit owned by Cimentkat.
According to the chief executive officer of PPC Barnet RDC, the initial objective is to extract at least 600,000 tons of crushed limestone per year, with a gradual move toward the production of limestone powder and lime. These products serve as key inputs for the construction materials industry and for various industrial applications.
Lubudi holds a long-standing place in the cement industry of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cimentkat has operated industrial facilities in the area since its creation in 1922. After supplying construction materials for decades to support industrial development in Katanga, the company saw its activity decline steadily, leading to a production halt more than ten years ago.
“The restart of Cimentkat is now a reality through Project Albatros,” said Léon Mwine, chairman of Cimentkat’s board of directors.
PPC Barnet RDC is a joint venture between South Africa’s PPC Ltd and the Congolese group Barnet. The company operates an integrated cement plant in Kimpese, in the Kongo Central province, with an estimated annual production capacity of about 1.2 million tons of cement.
Boaz Kabeya
Germany plans to commit €161 million, or about $189 million at current exchange rates, to technical and financial cooperation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the 2025–2026 period. The announcement was made at an economic forum held in Berlin from December 8 to 9, 2025, which brought together Congolese and German business operators around sectors including agriculture, energy, water, mining, and pharmaceuticals.
The funding will support projects in several priority areas, including security, mining governance, biodiversity and forest protection, access to drinking water, and the development of renewable energy. On peace and social cohesion, Berlin plans targeted support for eastern provinces—North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika—with a focus on assisting conflict victims and affected communities.
In the mining sector, Germany aims to promote transparency, improve the business environment, and support economic development, with particular attention to the Lobito corridor. This strategic infrastructure seeks to connect mining regions in the DR Congo to the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola.
On biodiversity and forests, the announced interventions target conservation of the Congo Basin, with expected benefits for local populations.
In renewable energy, Germany plans to support implementation of the national energy compact and the Mission 300 initiative. Special emphasis is placed on the Inga III hydropower project, presented as a key driver for electricity access and industrial development.
These initiatives align with priorities set out in the National Strategic Development Plan (PNSD) 2024–2028 and the government’s Action Program (PAG).
By way of background, during the last intergovernmental negotiations in 2023, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development committed €90 million to the DR Congo. In addition, a major humanitarian assistance program deployed in 2024 totaled an estimated €54.7 million.
Ronsard Luabeya
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The Democratic Republic of Congo has taken steps to strengthen the collection of the electricity consumption levy, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Kinshasa on December 18, 2025.
The agreement was signed under the supervision of the minister of Water Resources and Electricity, Aimé Sakombi Molendo, and brings together the Directorate General of Administrative, Judicial, State and Participation Revenues (DGRAD), the national power utility SNEL, the National Agency for Electrification and Energy Services in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas (ANSER), and the ministry’s secretariat general.
According to a statement from ANSER, the partnership seeks to improve the supervision, collection, and control of the electricity consumption levy, which is intended to finance electrification projects through ANSER and the National Electrification Fund (FONER). The levy forms part of the institutional framework of the power sector and aims to support expanded electricity access in a country where the electrification rate remains below 22%.
In principle, the mechanism relies on contributions from large electricity consumers, particularly high- and medium-voltage users, to finance sector investments. However, implementation has faced recurring challenges, including difficulties in identifying calculation bases, weaknesses in collection procedures, and limited oversight, resulting in irregular revenue mobilization.
The new protocol seeks to address these shortcomings through the introduction of a single declaration form for the levy, placed under the authority of the supervising ministry. It also establishes a revenue-sharing formula, with proceeds split equally between the public treasury and ANSER.
Focus on transparency and control
Under the agreement, SNEL, designated as the legal taxpayer, will submit monthly levy declarations within regulatory deadlines to the ministry’s secretariat general and to ANSER, with copies sent to DGRAD for information. Each declaration must include a detailed schedule listing final customers, contact details, amounts due, and related technical data.
SNEL will also issue debit notes and collection notices and extend the levy to medium-voltage customers supplied through its own installations, in order to broaden the tax base.
The parties agreed to set up a technical coordination framework, including a joint commission and combined inspection missions. These bodies will be responsible for identifying non-compliant customers and recovering unpaid levies covering the period from October 2024 to July 2025.
Minister Sakombi Molendo said the protocol reflects an inter-institutional governance approach aimed at making levy collection more predictable, fair, and transparent. SNEL’s chief executive, Teddy Lwamba, said the utility would comply with the new procedures, while pointing to operational constraints linked to high- and medium-voltage customers.
DGRAD said it intends to further strengthen non-tax revenue mobilization and plans to propose an additional protocol to clarify recovery procedures on behalf of ANSER, including the role of the treasury receiver and regular reconciliation of financial data.
Ronsard Luabeya
Authorities in North Kivu launched several basic socio-economic infrastructure projects on December 18 in Beni, under the Stabilization and Recovery Project for Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (STAR-EST), with financial support from the World Bank.
The launch ceremony took place in Beni and was led by the province’s police vice-governor, Commissioner Louis Segond Karawa. Provincial STAR-EST coordinator Jean-Claude Kasomo said the first phase covers the construction of 26 social infrastructures, including 11 primary schools, three secondary schools, and 12 social centers.
The facilities are spread across 13 sites in the city of Beni, three sites in the Beni territory, four in Lubero territory, and six in Walikale territory. According to Kasomo, the program could later extend to areas currently under armed group control once those zones return to state authority.
Under its current roadmap, the STAR-EST program aims to deliver 130 basic socio-economic infrastructures across its North Kivu intervention area by 2027, subject to an improvement in security conditions. Authorities cited Masisi and Rutshuru as key territories where progress depends on greater stability.
The STAR-EST project carries total financing of $250 million from the World Bank. It became effective in November 2023 and runs through December 2027. The program seeks to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities through infrastructure rehabilitation, temporary job creation, and improved access to essential services.
Initially deployed in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, the program has recently expanded to other provinces, including Kinshasa and Kwango, where investments are underway in the rehabilitation of urban and rural roads.
Boaz Kabeya
Chinese mining group CMOC plans to raise its total investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo to $8 billion, the Ministry of Mines said.
The plan was announced on Dec. 16, 2025, during a meeting in Kinshasa between CMOC representatives and Mines Minister Louis Kabamba Watum, according to a statement from the ministry. CMOC operates the Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) and Kisanfu Mining (KFM) projects in the country.
Details on the scope and timeline of the planned investments were not disclosed. CMOC said it intends to deepen its engagement in the DRC, citing the country’s mining potential and an improving business climate.
In October 2025, the group’s board approved a $1.08 billion expansion of the Kisanfu mine, aimed at increasing annual copper output by about 100,000 tonnes. Construction is expected to take two years, with commissioning targeted for late 2027.
CMOC acquired an 80% stake in Tenke Fungurume Mining for $2.65 billion in 2016 and a 95% stake in Kisanfu Mining for about $550 million in 2020. The group has since made additional investments to expand production capacity at both sites, bringing total spending to more than $3 billion, based on its annual reports.
During the meeting, CMOC also presented its annual production figures, reporting roughly 700,000 tonnes of copper from its Congolese operations in the 2025 financial year, making it one of the country’s leading copper producers.
The company flagged several operational challenges, including power supply shortages and encroachment by artisanal miners on some concessions, which have disrupted operations and fuelled local tensions.
Watum said coordinated solutions would be pursued with all stakeholders and stressed the need to involve local communities in addressing concession encroachments. He also urged CMOC to invest in local power generation to reduce reliance on electricity imports from neighbouring countries.
The talks also touched on recent cooperation agreements between the DRC and other international partners, including the United States. The minister said these partnerships do not pose a threat to foreign investors, including Chinese companies, or to existing Sino-Congolese cooperation.
Ronsard Luabeya
Airtel Africa said on Tuesday it signed a new partnership with SpaceX to roll out Starlink Direct-to-Cell technology, enabling satellite-to-smartphone connectivity across its 14 African markets, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The deal builds on an initial collaboration announced last May, which allowed Airtel to distribute Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet through conventional ground terminals. Taken together, the two agreements cover both fixed satellite broadband and direct satellite-to-mobile connectivity.
Under the new arrangement, Airtel subscribers using compatible smartphones will be able to access satellite connectivity in areas without terrestrial network coverage. The service will rely on the Starlink satellite constellation, the largest in the world by 4G geographic coverage. The agreement also includes the deployment of a new generation of satellites capable of delivering speeds up to 20 times faster than current systems.
The service is scheduled to launch in 2026, initially offering text messaging and selected data services. Its rollout will be subject to regulatory approvals in each country.
In the DRC, conditions are already favourable for the introduction of Starlink services. Since May 2025, SpaceX’s local subsidiary has been authorised to operate in the country after receiving an operating licence from the Congolese Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPTC). The licence allows Starlink DRC S.A. to provide satellite internet services in the local market.
With these partnerships, Airtel Africa becomes the first operator on the continent to offer both Starlink access via terminals and direct satellite-to-mobile connectivity. In the DRC, where large parts of the territory remain outside terrestrial network coverage, this dual capability gives Airtel a significant operational advantage in extending connectivity to remote areas and strengthening its service offering. The move is expected to reinforce its position in the strategic mobile internet segment.
According to the ARPTC Observatory, mobile internet generated $594 million in revenue by the end of June 2025, accounting for nearly 52.7% of total sector revenue. In the second quarter, the number of active users reached 34.5 million, corresponding to a penetration rate of 30.79%, up 0.81 percentage points. Data consumption rose by 26.91% compared with the first quarter of 2025.
Financially, Airtel leads the market with a 41.6% revenue share, ahead of Orange at 29.5%, Vodacom at 24.7% and Africell at 4.1%. By subscriber share, the market is more fragmented: Vodacom leads with 36.4%, followed by Airtel at 30.8%, Orange at 29.8% and Africell at 3%.
Boaz Kabeya