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US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced $600 million in new funding for the Lobito Corridor, the 1,300-kilometer railway line meant to connect mines in DR Congo and Zambia to the Port of Lobito in Angola.
Biden, who was hosted by Angolan President Joao Lourenço during his three-day tour, met with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema.
The announcement brings total international investment in the project to over $6 billion. The project’s developers aim to break ground in early 2026.
The corridor is seen as a response to China’s influence in Africa and control of critical minerals. In a veiled reference to China’s controversial lending policies, Biden said the US “pushed to ensure that developing nations do not have to choose between paying down unsustainable debt and being able to invest in their own people.”
Biden also unveiled a new $1 billion aid package aimed at supporting drought-stricken countries across the continent.
