Cabinet Clears MOTA-ENGIL Africa Deal for Dilolo-Sakania Rail Modernisation

Kinshasa, DRC, August 5, 2026 - The Congolese government has officially adopted a draft collaboration convention with MOTA-ENGIL Africa aimed at financing, rehabilitating, modernizing, operating, maintaining, and ultimately transferring the Dilolo-Sakania railway, which spans 1,004.5 kilometers. The estimated cost of this ambitious project is set at USD 1.258 billion, with a target capacity of up to 13.7 million tons per year. The announcement was made by Transport Vice Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba during the 95th Council of Ministers meeting held on July 31 in Kaniama-Kasese, under the leadership of President Félix Tshisekedi.

This initiative follows a public-private partnership (PPP) established with Mota-Engil SA, which is supported by the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as part of the Lobito Corridor project. The collaboration is strategically linked to the pillars of the DRC-US economic deal signed in December 2025, which emphasizes the establishment of a Strategic Asset Reserve, a Strategic Minerals Reserve, and the development of the Sakania-Lobito corridor, among other key infrastructure and economic reforms.

The project is expected to enhance local content and technology transfer, thereby generating significant public revenues and contributing to the broader goals of industrialization and fiscal and administrative reform in the DRC. The modernization of the Dilolo-Sakania railway is seen as a critical step in improving the country’s transportation infrastructure, facilitating trade, and boosting economic growth in the region.