Lobito Corridor

The Lobito Corridor is connected by a stretch of railway infrastructure snaking through mineral- and oil-rich parts of Angola, the DRC, and Zambia. It connects Southern and Central Africa, and provides access to Eastern Africa and a pathway to the Atlantic Ocean. The rail route was established in the early 1900s and thrived until the mid-seventies when its use was curtailed due to damage sustained during the Angola civil war. The period of underutilization continued until 2015 when a nearly $2 billion rehabilitation contract was funded and carried out by the Chinese government. Today, the railway concession of the Lobito Corridor is controlled by a group of prominent European logistics companies which include Trafigura, Moto-Engil, and Vecturis. This concession has been given for 30 years and can be extended an additional 20 years if investment thresholds are met. The governments of the United States of America and the European Union have announced their support for the advancement of the Lobito Corridor and plan to make major financial and other commitments. (https://www.lobitocorridor.org/history-background)