2024-09-03 22:12:16
Among the important economic questions surrounding the China-Africa relationship, there is the construction of important infrastructure which must provide the new “Silk Roads”, and of the supply of strategic minerals. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the world’s largest suppliers of coltan, manganese, copper, etc. While there is competition for mining permits, powers are also fighting for control of export routes.
The train line you started from Lubumbashi region and connecting Lobito station in Angola is the process for the export of Congolese minerals. Until now, it is the road to the port of Durban in South Africa which is mainly used. ” With just one train, you can easily clear 1 000 tons or 1 200 tons. However, if you have to do it by truck, it takes 30 trucks, underlines Lems Kamwanya, economic analyst, former director of the multimodal cargo management office. That’s driving skills, that’s 30 different documents to lend, that’s a lot of problems. This is why the railway has become the best way. »
Saving in time, but also in transport costs, also shows Lems Kamwanya, who is also the former deputy director at the Ministry of Transport of the DRC: ” We have always noticed that this is the best way to transport mining products. »
China has repaired more than 1,300 kilometers of railways on the Angolan side, for a value of more than 2 billion euros. But the contract was awarded to a group led by Swiss businessman Trafigura. The first sale by rail of copper is made at the end of August 2024. To strike a balance, on the western side, the United States and the European Union have decided to partially reform the Congolese side. For this, 630 euros have already been collected, according to the European Commission.
Race to control international influence
« Beijing responded to the loss of control of the Lobito corridor by proposing to reactivate an old historic corridor that no longer operates, which is the Tazara line – for Tanzania and Zambia », analyzed Thierry Vircoulon, associate researcher at IFRI. ” So Beijing is planning from this year to rebuild this line, at a cost of just over one billion dollars, which will open the corridor to compete with the Lobito corridor. », he continued. Opening up a port on the east coast of Africa will certainly facilitate the Chinese market.
If the diversity of international routes and partners can only be beneficial according to Lems Kamwanya, for Thierry Virculon, ” This battle of the corridors describes the geopolitical struggle around important mineral reserves and shows that, in fact, between Washington and Beijing, the race for control is not only its resources, but above all means go abroad for your resources. ». Two weeks ago, Washington moved again on the subject, assured to be always ready to be involved in the extension of the Lobito corridor to Tanzania.
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