Lobito Corridor

Congo's cabinet approved a US$1.26 billion railway project with Mota-Engil to rebuild the 1,004.5 km Dilolo-Sakania line, part of the Lobito Corridor. The agreement aims to revitalize infrastructure critical to regional connectivity.

The US State Department's new US-Africa Strategic Investment Program aims to catalyze private investment in Africa by offering up to $50 million in grants for projects de-risking investments in critical minerals and commercial diplomacy. The initiative shifts from USAID to the State Department and faces criticism for prioritizing trade over development, with debates over whether markets can be de-risked into existence.

The Trump administration supported Virtus Minerals in developing cobalt and copper mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), marking the first U.S. rare earth minerals acquisition in the country since the Washington Accord. The initiative aims to counter China's dominance in critical minerals and establish a secure supply chain for the U.S. and allies.

The Lobito Corridor is highlighted by the US Africa envoy as a model for trade relations in Africa, with Washington shifting focus toward trade. Critics argue this approach risks enabling further exploitation of African resources.