Kinshasa, June 24th, 2025(CPA) – The digitization of geological data from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is often scattered around the world, was discussed at the USA-Africa Business Summit held in Luanda, Angola, the Minister of Mines told CPA in an interview on his return to Kinshasa. ‘The summit also discussed geology and exploration issues, particularly in the mining sector: we need to know more about our subsoil before raising funds on the international markets. With some of our American partners, we also discussed the digitization of geological data, which is often scattered around the world. You know that during the colonial era, under the Belgian administration, a lot of data on the geology of our country was collected and is still kept elsewhere’, Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba told the CPA from Luanda, where the 17th US-Africa Business Summit was being held. According to the minister, the ‘Lobito Corridor’ project will be used to evacuate minerals from the DRC to the Atlantic Ocean, thus opening the way to consumer markets. The need to promote local processing of Congolese minerals was also discussed.
‘We no longer want to export only raw minerals. In line with the Head of State’s vision and the commitments he has made, local processing is a major lever for job creation’, the Minister pointed out. ‘The use of this corridor will also encourage the establishment of special economic and agricultural zones for local processing, which will also create added value and increase revenue for the national budget’, he added.
To this end, the DRC is working to regain ownership of geological data, to repatriate and digitise it, so that it can be accessed and used locally in the country. ‘The Luanda summit was also an opportunity to discuss peace issues in the DRC, which is currently facing a war of aggression in the east, a war motivated by economic interests, in particular the plundering of natural resources’, stressed the Congolese Minister in charge of Mines.
An inseparable link between peace and development mentioned
‘We obviously raised the issue of peace, emphasizing that a peaceful Congo is a sine qua non for investment to flourish. In this connection, mention was made of the efforts being made by the USA through an ongoing initiative, the first agreement for which is due to be signed on September 27th’, said Aimé Boji, Minister of State in charge of the Budget. This agreement, he said, should be followed by other complementary instruments, in order to create the conditions for lasting peace, without which the much hoped-for development would remain out of reach. ‘Thus, the inseparable link between peace and development was a major point of interest in several panels and attracted the attention of many participants’, he added.
Aimé Boji, Minister of State in charge of the Budget
According to Aimé Boji, the Lobito corridor will lead to the development of an ecosystem of economic activities, including agricultural activities, production units, infrastructure and the processing of agricultural products. An optical fiber will also be deployed, with the aim of improving Internet access for the people of the DRC. ‘So it’s a major program that’s being developed around this corridor, and that’s the strategic interest of the DRC in taking part in this summit’, he added.
Energy, the first condition for operating the Lobito corridor
‘The energy issue is fundamental to the operation of this corridor. Rail transport itself is powered by electricity, which means that it is essential to ensure that energy is available. It was therefore necessary to establish cooperation between the two countries, Angola and the DRC, for this essential dimension (…) it is crucial to address this issue from the outset, because energy is the number one condition for the effective operation of the corridor’, said Teddy Luamba, Minister in charge of Energy and Hydraulic Resources.
Teddy Luamba Minister in charge of Energy and Hydraulic Resources
‘And I think that’s precisely the main reason for our participation: to analyze the activities related to the railway and transport on this corridor, in particular the energy issue. At present, the two countries, Angola and the DRC, have great energy potential. Angola has invested heavily in hydroelectric power stations, and now has a surplus of energy. The DRC, for its part, is re-launching several strategic electricity projects’, he explained. Held earlier this week in Luanda, Angola, the 17th US-Africa Business Summit was aimed at promoting trade between the United States of America and Africa. The summit was attended by heads of state and government, investors and a number of American delegates. ACP/