Keypoints:
- US DFC close to $500m rail investment
- Angola, Congo, and Trafigura in talks
- Corridor key to critical mineral exports
THE United States is preparing to inject more than $500 million into the Lobito Corridor, a major rail project aimed at transporting copper, cobalt and lithium from central Africa’s mineral-rich interior to Angola’s Atlantic coast.
Speaking on the sidelines of the US-Africa Business Summit in Luanda on June 23, Conor Coleman, Head of Investments at the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), said funding talks were approaching conclusion.
‘We remain very committed to that project overall and we’re working tirelessly to make sure it is effectuated,’ Coleman said, confirming active negotiations with the Angolan government and global commodities trader Trafigura.
Rail lifeline for Africa’s copper belt
The Lobito Corridor is seen as a vital infrastructure link for exporting minerals from Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Once complete, the corridor will ease the movement of critical raw materials from Africa’s copper belt to international markets via the Lobito port.
Total project funding was first discussed in 2023. While Coleman declined to explain the delay, he confirmed it had nothing to do with internal changes under President Donald Trump’s administration.
‘It’s business as usual,’ he said. ‘You’ll see us playing a lot in critical minerals infrastructure—digital, transportation and energy—especially here on the African continent.’
Angola and Congo press ahead
Angola’s Minister of State for Economic Coordination, Jose de Lima Massano, said delays were linked to legal and commercial negotiations, particularly guarantee clauses demanded by private funders.
‘These aren’t state loans,’ Massano noted. ‘We’re working to ensure the right conditions for private investment to advance quickly.’
Neighbouring DRC is also lobbying the DFC to back rehabilitation of its railway line from Kolwezi’s cobalt and copper mines to the Lobito Corridor. Congo’s Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba said a tender will be launched in November, with a goal to complete the project within three years.
He added that Kinshasa is also in talks with the European Union and the European Investment Bank to develop the rail network via a public-private partnership. Some planned funding from USAID was blocked earlier this year due to budget cuts under the Trump administration.
US repositions in Africa’s minerals race
The planned DFC commitment marks a major US play in Africa’s strategic minerals sector, as Washington seeks to curb China’s dominance in processing and offtake agreements.
‘We’re not too late,’ Coleman asserted. ‘There’s opportunity in the lateness.’ He stressed that African countries want to see beneficiation happen locally—not just raw exports to China.
‘There’s room for the US and the countries to diversify their customer base and think differently about value addition,’ he said.
Beyond the Lobito Corridor, the DFC has committed $3.4 million in technical assistance to Pensana Plc’s rare earths project in Angola and is exploring debt financing for Carrinho Group’s agricultural processing plant.
While political uncertainty and procedural bottlenecks persist, the DFC’s engagement suggests Washington is positioning itself for a long-term role in Africa’s resource value chain.
As global demand for cobalt, copper and lithium rises, the Lobito Corridor could be a game-changer—not just for exports, but for Africa’s place in the global energy transition.
