Africa’s new front in global competition: Lobito Corridor

By Saadet Firdevs Apari Bayram

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Lobito Corridor Project — a 1,300-kilometer (810 miles) railway linking Angola’s Lobito Port with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, is emerging as a means for Western countries, especially the US, to strengthen their strategic position in Africa.

Developed with the joint support of the US, EU, African Development Bank, and other development partners, the corridor is designed to facilitate quicker and safer exports of Africa’s rich mineral deposits to Western markets.

The railway is expected to play a key role in transporting minerals including copper and cobalt, which are critical for the global clean energy transition.

The project aims to provide an alternative route in Western supply chains in response to China’s infrastructure and mining influence in Africa.

The Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium took over the operation of the corridor on July 4, 2023, with commitments to invest $455 million in Angola and $100 million in the Congo.

The US, a prominent supporter of the Lobito Corridor, sees the project as a priority to reinforce its influence in Africa and counterbalance China’s dominance across the continent.

Through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and the Development Finance Corporation, the US committed more than $4 billion to the project during the 2023–2024 period under the Biden administration.

The Washington administration describes the initiative as both an infrastructure and diplomatic investment.

-An alternative to China’s Belt and Road

The Lobito Corridor is seen as an alternative to China’s long-standing Belt and Road initiative in Africa.

Considered “the West’s delayed response” to China’s ports, railways, and mining projects across Africa, the corridor has the potential to shift the regional balance of influence.

Experts say the Lobito Corridor will also trigger integrated development initiatives, including new roads, energy lines, and communication infrastructure.

Roukaya El Houda of the investment advisory firm CrossBoundary, who visited the corridor during the 2025 US-Africa Business Summit, called it “a vein opening to the continent’s future.” She stressed the need to integrate local businesses and labor into its operations and noted that the project is both economically and socially transformative.

Daula Abdoul, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Student Union, told Anadolu that the rivalry between the West and China heightens the corridor’s geopolitical significance.

“Africa should prioritize its own interests rather than falling into a ‘West or China?’ dilemma. The Lobito Corridor is an opportunity for Africa, but it requires a unique development model. Congo should act with an ‘Africa for Africa’ strategy instead of choosing between the West and China. Let us not forget: the richness of our land should not feed the poverty of our people,” he said.