{"id":6907,"date":"2026-05-27T14:35:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T14:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/what-is-the-lobito-corridor-cited-by-us-africa-envoy-as-model-for-ties\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T14:35:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T14:35:22","slug":"what-is-the-lobito-corridor-cited-by-us-africa-envoy-as-model-for-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/what-is-the-lobito-corridor-cited-by-us-africa-envoy-as-model-for-ties\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Lobito Corridor, cited by US Africa envoy as model for ties?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>When veteran naval officer <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/26\/us-senate-confirms-veteran-naval-officer-frank-garcia-as-top-africa-envoy\">Frank Garcia<\/a> was appointed by the United States Senate as assistant secretary of state for African affairs this week, he praised the administration of Donald Trump for affirming Washington\u2019s engagement in \u201ctrade and investment for mutual benefit\u201d in the African continent.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, Garcia highlighted the Lobito Corridor \u2013 a strategic 1,300km (810-mile) rail and transport route linking the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola to the mineral-rich regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia \u2013 as an example of this new direction during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 5.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/27\/drc-flight-suspension-and-uganda-border-curbs-isolate-ebola-hit-bunia\">DRC flight suspension and Uganda border curbs isolate Ebola-hit Bunia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/economy\/2026\/5\/12\/africas-richest-man-plans-new-mombasa-oil-refinery-why-this-matters\">Africa\u2019s richest man plans new Mombasa oil refinery: Why this matters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/24\/attacks-on-ebola-centres-intensify-in-eastern-drc-amid-outbreak-fears\">Attacks on Ebola centres intensify in eastern DRC amid outbreak fears<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>While it was the former Biden administration which signed a memorandum of understanding to provide investment into this project, Trump mobilised funds in 2025. Garcia described the project as a model for a new way forward in Africa, anchored in what he said were core US national interests and aligned with the \u201cAmerica First\u201d approach.<\/p>\n<p>The veteran naval officer, whose new role is one of Washington\u2019s most strategically important diplomatic positions in Africa, stressed that job creation, regional integration and expanded commercial ties would be prioritised, rather than humanitarian assistance, which must be assessed based on its contribution to national security and economic interests.<\/p>\n<p>For some, the Lobito Corridor is an example of how US investments can boost Africa\u2019s regional trade, create jobs, and improve infrastructure while offering investment opportunities. But critics say it mainly serves US efforts to secure alternative supply chains for critical minerals needed for the manufacture of electric vehicles, clean energy technologies and defence, furthering regional instability and conflicts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a real danger that the corridor exacerbates the crises [in conflict-torn African nations], rather than offering solutions,\u201d Mike Jennings, professor of global development at SOAS University of London, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd its implementation feels very neocolonial in practice, spirit and objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-lobito-corridor\">What is the Lobito Corridor?<\/h2>\n<p>The Lobito Corridor connects the mineral-rich Copperbelt to the Atlantic Ocean via Angola\u2019s Lobito Port, amid a global surge in demand for critical minerals to secure supply chains for the global energy transition.<\/p>\n<p>Its foundational infrastructure, the Benguela Railway, was first developed in 1902 as a colonial trade corridor to transport raw minerals from Africa\u2019s inland to international markets in Europe and the Americas.<\/p>\n<p>Angola, a colony of Portugal when the initial railway was concluded in 1931, was granted the initial 99-year concession by British mining and railway company Tanganyika Concessions, a key enterprise operating in colonial Africa for much of the 20th century.<\/p>\n<p>That expired in 2001, and the infrastructure reverted from Portuguese authorities to the government of Angola, which had meanwhile gained independence in 1975. But by the time a 27-year civil war came to an end the following year, less than 3 percent of the railway remained operational.<\/p>\n<p>The railway was eventually renovated by China as part of a $2bn rail-for-oil programme, and in 2023, the Lobito Atlantic Railway company obtained a 30-year concession involving Trafigura, Mota-Engil, and Vecturis SA.<\/p>\n<p>The US government committed billions of dollars to the initiative to increase Lobito\u2019s transport capacity and reduce the cost of moving critical minerals. In 2022, the US \u2013 under former President Joe Biden \u2013 the European Union and other G7 members signed a memorandum of understanding pledging to mobilise $600bn for infrastructure development over five years, of which the US committed $200bn.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3360451\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3360451\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/INTERACTIVE-The-Lobito-Atlantic-Railway-Map-1733124668.png?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C962&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"INTERACTIVE - The Lobito Atlantic Railway Map-1733124668\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3360451\">(Al Jazeera)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"why-is-the-lobito-corridor-significant\">Why is the Lobito Corridor significant?<\/h2>\n<p>The project is one of five key trade, transit and development routes in Southern Africa. It aims to significantly improve transport efficiency in the region, reducing both the time and cost of moving goods to coastal ports.<\/p>\n<p>The corridor is being upgraded to facilitate the transport of copper, cobalt and other critical minerals, including lithium and nickel, faster from Central Africa to global markets, placing it at the centre of growing geopolitical competition over resources required for manufacturing electric vehicles and clean energy technologies.<\/p>\n<p>Locally, supporters credit it with creating economic opportunities for communities living along the corridor, including farmers, artisans and small-scale miners hoping to export their products. It is also seen as having the potential to drive new forms of cooperation between governments, development partners and companies, with a focus on integrated supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>Jennings, at London\u2019s SOAS university, said weak transport links between African countries have contributed to weak integration and economic ties in the subcontinent. \u201cDeveloping these is an important focus for infrastructure development that could \u2013 if done appropriately \u2013 support African economic growth and transformation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, a big question is whether the Lobito Corridor is actually going to do this in the way it is being developed.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-washington-s-approach-to-the-project\">What is Washington\u2019s approach to the project?<\/h2>\n<p>Shortly before Trump came to office, in December 2024, Biden made his <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/12\/2\/biden-in-angola-whats-behind-the-last-ditch-africa-trip\">first-ever bilateral trip to Africa<\/a> as president, visiting Angola in part to discuss support for the Lobito Corridor.<\/p>\n<p>As China overtook the US in 2013 to become Africa\u2019s largest trade partner, the visit was seen as an attempt to counter Beijing\u2019s expanding influence on the continent.<\/p>\n<p>While the capital commitment for the Lobito Corridor builds on groundwork laid under the Biden administration, Trump has not sought to abandon the project. Instead, he discarded his predecessor\u2019s climate narrative and expanded control over critical mineral supply chains as core US national interests.<\/p>\n<p>Under Biden, the Lobito Corridor was framed as a flagship climate-transition project in partnership with the EU\u2019s Global Gateway initiative. The corridor has since been redefined by the Trump administration as a geopolitical instrument to counter China\u2019s dominance, strengthen US control over critical materials and diversify supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>The International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), set up during Trump\u2019s first term in 2019, pledged a $550m loan to support the project. In December, the DFC signed a $753m financing package, described by its CEO Ben Black as noteworthy for \u201cits unprecedented scale and strategic significance\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see the railway as a key domestic and regional asset that will drive economic development and support the movement of critical metals to global markets,\u201d Black said. The company\u2019s statement added that DFC\u2019s investments \u201chelp secure reliable supply chains and prevent monopolization by China and other strategic competitors\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-concerns-are-there-about-the-lobito-corridor\">What concerns are there about the Lobito Corridor?<\/h2>\n<p>Jennings said the project appears to be oriented towards supporting trade out of sub-Saharan Africa, rather than strengthening inter-regional trade and links. \u201cSo it feels more like a continuation of the forms of exploitation of African natural resources than a new, Africa-oriented project,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact that it is built around mineral extraction in a country devastated by decades of conflict and instability, in which access to those natural resources has fuelled those conflicts and tensions, is also deeply concerning,\u201d Jennings continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd on top of this is the way it appears to be being implemented, with little regard for the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2025\/1\/2\/modern-plunderers-lobito-corridor-plans-bring-fear-hesitation-in-drc\">people who will be displaced<\/a>, impacted and affected, and their views and needs not being taken into account.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to satellite image analysis carried out by the United Kingdom-based campaign group Global Witness, as many as 6,500 people could be affected by displacement linked to the development of the Lobito Corridor in the DRC.<\/p>\n<p>The group\u2019s research found that the railway runs through vulnerable communities where the ownership of houses and buildings along the railway line was in dispute, as was the size of the area to be cleared. Global Witness said the Lobito Corridor would be a \u201clitmus test\u201d for Western partners who claim that the project represents a more equitable model for resource exploitation.<\/p>\n<p>An October 2024 United Nations policy document on the regional effect of the Lobito Corridor also highlighted potential future challenges, including the environmental effect, land and community conflicts, as well as health, gender and human rights-related risks.<\/p>\n<p>It also urged the three African governments and other stakeholders to put processes in place to \u201caddress adverse human rights impacts and abuses, including any cross-border business-related human rights harms resulting from the Lobito Corridor\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>While transport infrastructure projects are needed, Jennings concluded that the Lobito Corridor \u201cdoesn\u2019t feel to be an answer to these needs \u2026 It is focused on external \u2013 especially, but not only, US \u2013 strategic and economic interests, not those of the communities and people who will be most affected by its operation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When veteran naval officer Frank Garcia was appointed by the United States Senate as assistant secretary of state for African affairs this week, he praised the administration of Donald Trump for affirming Washington\u2019s engagement in \u201ctrade and investment for mutual benefit\u201d in the African continent. In particular, Garcia highlighted the Lobito Corridor \u2013 a strategic &#8230; <a title=\"What is the Lobito Corridor, cited by US Africa envoy as model for ties?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/what-is-the-lobito-corridor-cited-by-us-africa-envoy-as-model-for-ties\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about What is the Lobito Corridor, cited by US Africa envoy as model for ties?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6908,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6907\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}