News (559)
The Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector (ARSP), the Guarantee Fund for Entrepreneurship in Congo (FOGEC), Rawbank, and Rawsur have launched a national financing program to support Congolese subcontractors in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Presented to Prime Minister Judith Suminwa on Oct. 6, 2025, the initiative aims to make it easier for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access financing so they can compete for contracts and deliver on them. Loan amounts will range from $10,000 to $1 million, depending on each company’s size and capacity, the Prime Minister’s office said.
Rawbank will provide the funding through its “$20,000 SMEs” program, which has a total budget of $200 million dedicated to integrating local SMEs into the value chains of major corporations. In July, Rawbank Director Rawji Mustafa said during a meeting with the ARSP that 8,000 SMEs had already benefited from the facility. The ARSP will now focus on helping finance the remaining 12,000 businesses, drawing on its market oversight expertise to identify credible SMEs and provide them with tailored support.
ARSP Director General Miguel Kashal said the initiative will not only finance SMEs but also ensure prompt payments by main contractors, helping to stimulate growth. “We will share the list of subcontractors who have won contracts with Rawbank,” Kashal said. “The goal is to help these entrepreneurs grow into major players, because it’s impossible to build strong businesses without support from the banks.”
FOGEC will guarantee the loans, reducing risk for Rawbank and boosting the financial sector’s confidence in local businesses. A monitoring system will also be set up to ensure that funds are properly managed and that the funded projects remain viable.
Ronsard Luabeya
Congolese mining company Compagnie minière Orient industrielle (Comoi-Sarl) has accused Ding Sheng SARL, a Chinese-owned firm, of illegally operating on three of its gold concessions in Mambasa territory, Ituri province.
In a complaint reported by the ACP news agency, Comoi-Sarl claims that Ding Sheng SARL is operating without authorization on its concessions, in breach of the national Mining Code. In its official complaint to the head of the General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM) in Kinshasa, Comoi-Sarl said it is the sole holder of research permits No. 16133, 16188, and 16325, all properly registered and validated by the mining authorities.
The company has requested that the IGM immediately suspend Ding Sheng SARL’s operations, seize its equipment, and order $10 million in damages for losses incurred.
According to ACP, an inspection team from the provincial mines division in Ituri confirmed the presence of Ding Sheng SARL’s operations on the disputed sites, supporting Comoi-Sarl’s allegations. The case has been referred to local authorities for follow-up, including the head of the Congolese National Police’s economic and financial crimes unit in Ituri, the Mambasa territory administrator, and the local mining office chief.
The incident follows a similar crackdown on Oct. 5, when Chinese nationals were arrested for illegal mining at a Kibali Gold concession in Haut-Uélé. That operation, led by Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba, resulted in the seizure of equipment and the immediate closure of the site.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Port of Boma, in southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), welcomed the container ship MV APALOS, operated by Maersk Congo, on Tuesday, October 8, 2025. It was the first commercial vessel to dock at the port in more than ten years, according to the Congolese News Agency (ACP).
The ship carried a large number of containers. Interim mayor Claudelle Phemba said the visit followed a July 8, 2025, meeting between the mayor’s office and Maersk Congo, during which the company confirmed plans to resume operations at the facility.
Maersk Congo said the move is part of its broader strategy to diversify logistics access points across the country, in response to growing demand for modern, efficient port infrastructure.
Separately, eight industrial fishing vessels built in Egypt by Pyrlant Shipyard are expected to dock at Boma before entering service.
The Maersk ship’s arrival and the upcoming delivery of the fishing boats could signal the start of a long-awaited revival at the Port of Boma, which has been largely idle for years.
BK
Alphamin Resources Ltd said it expects to produce between 18,000 and 18,500 tons of tin in 2025 at its Bisie mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company raised its April forecast of 17,500 tons, according to an operational update published on October 8.
The operator initially planned to produce 20,000 tons in 2025. However, Alphamin cut its target earlier this year after halting operations in March because of rebel activity in eastern Congo.
The company reported a cumulative output of 13,566 tons in the first nine months of 2025. It expects to add around 5,000 tons in the fourth quarter, which would bring annual production to the new range of 18,000–18,500 tons.
“The Company expects to produce approximately 5,000 tons of contained tin during the final quarter of the financial year which, together with its year-to-date production of 13,566 tons, increases tin production guidance for FY2025 to between 18,000 and 18,500 tons (17,500 tons previously),” the company said in its update.
The Bisie mine produced 5,190 tons of tin in the third quarter, a 26% increase from the second quarter, which had been impacted by the temporary shutdown. The company attributed the rebound to “processing facilities continuing to deliver good results.”
Alphamin reported annual output of 17,324 tons in 2024. The company said final fourth-quarter results will determine whether the revised 2025 target is fully achieved.
The European Union (EU) announced on October 8 that it has allocated €1.8 million in humanitarian aid through its Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) to support efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The funding forms part of the EU’s broader on-the-ground response. According to the EU delegation in the DRC, the assistance includes a specially equipped helicopter for medical evacuations and the delivery of essential supplies.
The EU has also set up temporary offices and accommodation in Bulape, the affected health zone, to house up to 36 health experts. In addition, two Norwegian specialists in medical evacuation and patient isolation will join the World Health Organization (WHO) response team through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
The Ebola resurgence was declared on September 4 by Health Minister Roger Kamba, after several cases were confirmed in Bulape. Officials say they are encouraged that the virus remains confined to the area, with no signs of spread to neighboring zones.
The Red Cross has launched a $25 million response plan aimed at 965,000 people over 12 weeks, including 23,200 directly affected individuals, patients, contacts, caregivers, and volunteers, and about 680,000 residents in at-risk areas.
In its October 5 update, the WHO reported a stabilizing trend, noting that no new confirmed or probable cases had been detected for ten days, a sign that transmission is coming under control.
Since the start of the resurgence, 64 cases have been reported (53 confirmed and 11 probable), resulting in 43 deaths, a fatality rate of 67.2%. Fifteen patients have recovered, while six remain hospitalized at the Ebola treatment center.
The WHO said that if no new cases appear and the remaining patients recover, the DRC could begin the 42-day countdown before officially declaring the outbreak over.
Timothée Manoke
The Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced on October 7, 2025, that it had granted regulatory clearance on September 15 to Gujarat DRC SA for its planned solar power plant. The approval allows the Minister of Energy to sign the production license—the final step before construction can begin.
The project will be built in Fipango village, on the Kashamata site in Kipushi territory, Haut-Katanga province. It is being developed by Soleos Energy of India and Melci Holdings of the DRC, which formed the joint venture Gujarat DRC SA to carry out the project. The final ownership structure has not yet been made public.
While earlier reports mentioned a 200 MW plant, the ARE confirmed that the facility’s peak capacity will be 248 MWp (megawatt-peak)—the maximum output under ideal sunlight and temperature conditions. In practice, such plants operate below that level: a 248 MWp installation typically delivers an average of 40–50 MW of effective power in Africa.
According to ARE data, the project will supply electricity to about 70,000 households and create roughly 50 permanent and 500 temporary jobs. Early investor presentations projected completion by the end of 2025.
Four months ago, Tshimbalanga Madiba, General Manager of Melci Holdings and Deputy General Manager of Gujarat DRC SA, announced the imminent start of construction and said the plant would include a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with a 107 MWh capacity.
The power produced will be sold to the National Electricity Company (SNEL) under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Bhavesh Kumar Rathod, founder and director of Soleos Energy, described the tariff as “very advantageous,” without disclosing specifics. SNEL will handle power distribution to households and businesses.
The project also enjoys a dedicated transmission corridor and government guarantees—factors that have reinforced Soleos Energy’s confidence as it seeks to develop up to 1,000 MW of solar capacity in the DRC, covering roughly one-third of the country’s 3,000 MW electricity deficit, according to Minister Aimé Sakombi Molendo.
Timothée Manoke
• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plans to invest $1 billion in public funds and secure an additional $500 million from international partners to implement its new five-year digital strategy.
• The plan aims to transform the DRC into a regional digital hub by 2030, with a focus on AI, connectivity, and digital inclusion.
• The country’s first national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy will include the creation of a Congolese AI academy to train young talent and foster innovation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has launched the drafting process for its National Digital Plan 2026–2030 (PNN2) and its first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Ministry of Digital Economy said on Wednesday.
Minister Augustin Kibassa Maliba announced the initiative, which aims to position the DRC as a regional digital hub by 2030.
“This is about capturing the dividends of digital transformation and positioning our country — rich in critical minerals essential to the digital and energy transitions — as both an investment catalyst and a provider of solutions to global challenges,” Kibassa said.
The new plan will rest on four main pillars: infrastructure and connectivity development, creation of digital public platforms and services, human capital enhancement and digital inclusion, and strengthening of cybersecurity and digital trust.
It will also integrate five cross-cutting axes — digital entrepreneurship, innovation, technological sovereignty, artificial intelligence, and strategic partnerships — to ensure coherence across policy areas.
To support this roadmap, the government plans to invest $1 billion in public funds over five years, complemented by $500 million in external financing already secured from international partners.
As part of the AI strategy, authorities will establish a Congolese Artificial Intelligence Academy to train young professionals, promote applied research, and stimulate local innovation.
This initiative follows the National Digital Plan “Horizon 2025”, launched in 2019, which achieved about 60% of its objectives. The first plan laid the groundwork for the digital economy through improvements in fiber-optic connectivity, regional integration projects such as CAB5, and the introduction of e-government tools like online tax portals and customs modernization via a single window system.
Ongoing projects include the digitization of civil registration and the establishment of a national digital ID system.
With PNN2, Kinshasa seeks to consolidate these achievements and accelerate its digital transformation. A GSMA report presented last month estimated that digital technologies could contribute 9.8 trillion Congolese francs (about $3.6 billion) to the economy by 2029, provided that fiscal and regulatory reforms advance.
The same report suggested that digital adoption could unlock 8.6 trillion FC in additional economic value across mining, agriculture, and public services.
Through this new strategy, the DRC aims to strengthen its technology ecosystem, create thousands of skilled jobs, and attract more investment in high-growth digital sectors.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya, Agence Ecofin
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
Ten illegal gold mining sites have reportedly been identified inside the concessions of Kibali Gold Mines, a subsidiary of Canada’s Barrick Gold, in Haut-Uélé province.
The finding was announced on October 5, 2025, after an inspection led by Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba, joined by the provincial governor and security officials.
The Kibali concessions, covering about 1,836 square kilometers in the Moto goldfields of Watsa territory, are among ten permits held by the company. Officials say these areas are regularly invaded by illegal artisanal and semi-industrial miners.
At Barrick Gold’s 50th annual conference in 2023, CEO Mark Bristow had already warned about the rise of illegal mining in parts of Haut-Uélé, citing the involvement of foreign operators, mainly of Asian origin.
During the minister’s visit, several Chinese nationals were caught mining inside one of the concessions. They were carrying out open-pit artisanal and semi-industrial operations using heavy machinery and employing Congolese workers in unsafe conditions, in violation of the Mining Code.
Provincial authorities and security forces dismantled the network. The minister ordered the arrest of those involved, the seizure of equipment, and the closure of the site. He denounced the illegal exploitation of national resources by foreign operators.
The scale of Kibali Gold’s losses is still unclear. However, during a meeting with the Mines Minister on September 18, 2025, industry representatives called encroachment on mining concessions the “most critical problem.” The Federation of Enterprises of Congo (FEC) estimates that the phenomenon has already cost at least one mining company more than $3 billion through illegal extraction.
Ronsard Luabeya
• The 200 MW Nzilo 2 hydropower plant in Lualaba province targets a 2029 commissioning.
• Lualaba Power Group leads the project, financed by MES and CMOC.
• The plant will include a solar component to ensure stable power supply.
Aimé Sakombi Molendo, Minister of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity, inspected the Nzilo 2 hydropower plant construction site in Lualaba province on October 4, 2025. The site is located approximately 60 kilometers from Kolwezi.
Lualaba Power Group spearheads this project, aiming to alleviate the energy deficit in the mining province. Industrial expansion rapidly increases electricity demand in the region.
Mohamed Badri, a corporate advisor for Lualaba Power Group, stated that work remains in the preparatory phase. This phase includes constructing access roads and a river diversion tunnel. The plant expects commissioning by early 2029.
Nzilo 2 will feature an installed capacity of 200 MW, equipped with four 50 MW turbines. The project also incorporates a solar component, designed to complement hydropower generation. This integration aims to ensure a stable power supply for both mining industries and local populations.
The overall cost exceeds $470 million. Mining Engineering Services (MES) and China Molybdenum Company Limited (CMOC) jointly finance the project under a partnership signed in May 2024. Named the Heshima project, this partnership covers full financing through construction completion. Lualaba Power, a joint venture between MES and the National Electricity Company (SNEL), obtained its independent power producer license in 2023.
Minister Aimé Sakombi Molendo emphasized his visit's role in monitoring priority government energy projects. He stated, "Projects visited on this tour total nearly 1,000 MW, against a national deficit estimated at 3,000 MW. If we manage to cover a third of this deficit, pending the large Inga project, it would already be a significant step forward."
This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the U.S. reached $1.3 billion between January and July 2025, more than the total of 2017–2024 combined.
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The surge coincides with the U.S.–China trade war, which redirected Congolese minerals directly to the American market.
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The U.S. trade deficit with the DRC widened to over $1 billion by July 2025, compared to just $96 million in 2024.
Exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United States reached $1.3 billion in the first seven months of 2025, according to U.S. government data. The figure already exceeds the cumulative total of the previous eight years (2017–2024).
The Bureau of the Census said shipments peaked between April and July, when the DRC sent more than $1 billion worth of goods. June alone nearly hit $400 million, the highest monthly level on record.
Previous export peaks were $605.6 million in 2011, $527.6 million in 2010, and $400.7 million in 1985, making the 2025 surge unprecedented in at least four decades.
The U.S. Census Bureau did not provide reasons for the surge. However, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) attributed it to sustained U.S. demand for African raw materials and trade diversion effects.
The timing coincides with Washington’s tariff escalation against Beijing. In April 2025, the Trump administration raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% before lowering them to an average of 57.6%. UNECA suggested that Chinese firms operating in the DRC, which usually exported minerals to China for processing, redirected shipments directly to the U.S. market.
The hypothesis gains weight as the DRC faces average U.S. tariffs of just 11%, while copper — its main export — is exempt. Between January and July, U.S. copper imports totaled $11.3 billion, up 135.4% year-on-year. Although not broken down by country, the DRC, the world’s second-largest copper producer with more than 3 million tonnes mined in 2024, is likely a major contributor.
UNECA also noted that higher global commodity prices supported the performance. Gold prices rose more than 60% between January 2024 and July 2025, while coffee prices nearly doubled. Both commodities, though exported in smaller volumes, regularly feature in DRC shipments to the U.S.
This export boom sharply widened the U.S. trade deficit with the DRC. By end-July 2025, the deficit surpassed $1 billion, compared with just $96 million in 2024.
The expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on September 30, which since 2000 had eliminated tariffs on more than 6,800 African products, is expected to have only a limited impact on the trend.
This article was initially published in French by Pierre Mukoko
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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The Congolese government began emergency repairs on Oct. 2, 2025, to secure Pylon P8 of the Inga-Kimwenza high-voltage power line in the Mont Ngafula district of southwestern Kinshasa. Officials said the work is crucial to protect the structure from soil erosion that threatens its stability and could cause a major blackout across much of the capital.
Pylon P8 is a steel tower supporting the 400-kilovolt transmission line linking the Inga hydroelectric complex on the Congo River to several substations in Kinshasa. According to SNEL’s Director of Power Transmission, Ngindu Mutshima Kola, the collapse of just three similar pylons could plunge nearly two-thirds of the city into darkness.
The danger comes mainly from soil erosion around the tower, worsened by heavy rains and illegal construction nearby, which have disrupted natural drainage and made the site unstable. Calling the situation urgent, Infrastructure and Public Works Minister John Banza convened the national power utility SNEL and the Roads Office to coordinate an immediate response.
The stabilization contract was awarded to the Chinese firm SCI. The first phase involves reinforcing the ground around the pylon by placing sandbags in ravines to slow erosion and secure the foundations before launching full restoration work.
Meanwhile, Kinshasa City Hall has been instructed to begin expropriation procedures to clear illegal dwellings near the site. The goal is to create a safety buffer in accordance with regulations requiring a 25-meter clearance on each side of the tower.
Boaz Kabeya
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has begun paving the Kwilu-Ngongoy-Kimpangu road in Kongo-Central province. The project covers 96 kilometers of two-lane road and includes administrative and logistics facilities, such as a dry port in Kimpangu and new buildings for customs and the border post with Angola.
The project is worth $160.38 million and will be carried out by the Chinese consortium CRBC-TECNOVIA, which will finance 80% of the cost. The Congolese government will provide the remaining 20%. Construction is scheduled to take 24 months.
The Kwilu-Ngongo-Kimpangu stretch, until now unpaved, is a strategic trade link with Angola and a vital route for several Kongo-Central localities. Often impassable during the rainy season, it is expected to boost cross-border trade and stimulate the local economy once modernized.
This project is part of a broader effort to modernize key roads connecting the DRC and Angola. On September 29, 2025, the paving of the Moanda-Yema road was inaugurated, while work continues on the Mbuji-Mayi–Kananga–Kalamba-Mbuji route, which also includes a dry port at Kalamba-Mbuji on the Angolan border.
PM
Swiss agricultural commodity trader Mole Group signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sept. 30, 2025, for a vast agro-industrial project in Mbanza-Ngungu, Kongo Central province. The contract was signed by Mole Group Director General Grandi Mole and Agriculture Minister Muhindo Nzangi Butondo.
The agreement, expected for about one year now, is expected to complete the project’s structuring phase. Partners include Swiss firm Bühler, a specialist in agro-industrial machinery, and Belgian company De Smet Engineers & Contractors, known for turnkey plant construction. International financiers are also expected to join.
Mole said that secondary studies, to be carried out with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), will begin in October 2025. Construction is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2026 and will take four years.
The project covers more than 105,000 hectares, including 85,000 cultivable, and will require about $1 billion in investment. Plans call for an agro-industrial park with modern infrastructure: communication towers, hangars, warehouses, silos, processing plants, and administrative offices. It will also include schools and phytosanitary laboratories.
Annual production targets stand at 650,000 tons of food products: 70,000 tons of wheat flour, 150,000 tons of sugar, 150,000 tons of corn flour, 20,000 tons of rice, and 260,000 tons of cassava flour. Local raw materials such as cassava, maize, wheat, rice, and sugarcane will be transformed into flour, refined sugar and ethanol.
Mole Group expects the initiative to generate more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, stimulating the rural economy. If achieved, it would mark a step toward reducing the DRC’s chronic food deficit and dependence on imports. According to the Central Bank of Congo, food imports cost the country nearly $1.79 billion annually between 2019 and 2023.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo has begun construction of a 24-km road linking the coastal city of Moanda in Kongo Central province to Yema on the Angolan border.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa launched the project on Sept. 29. It is being built by Congolese firm Vaste Réseau des Services au Congo (VRSC) under the supervision of the Agency for Major Works (ACGT) and is expected to take two years.
The works include paving the road, installing two toll and weigh stations, and building a dry port at Yema on the Angolan side.
The Moanda-Yema route is the second DRC-Angola corridor under modernization. Work is also ongoing on the Mbuji-Mayi–Kananga–Kalamba-Mbuji road, where a new dry port is planned. Both projects aim to ease commercial flows between the two countries.
BK