Representing President Félix Tshisekedi at the opening ceremony, at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Louis Watum Kabamba advocated an approach based on the complementarity of the Congolese and Zambian economies.
Held under the theme “Transforming the African mining landscape: regional value chains, shared prosperity and community empowerment,” this meeting highlighted the prospects for economic integration and the valorization of mineral resources in Africa.
The minister particularly insisted on improving infrastructure and the fluidity of cross-border trade, especially at the Kasumbalesa post, a strategic axis for trade between the two countries. Facilitating the passage of goods is an important issue for economic operators and the development of regional mining activities.
Processing minerals to create wealth
“Transform our resources into industries, our industries into jobs and our jobs into prosperity for our peoples,” declared Louis Watum Kabamba.
This vision reflects the ambition to go beyond an economic model essentially based on the extraction and export of raw materials. Local processing of minerals is presented as a lever for job creation, industrial investment and increased added value for the benefit of African economies.
The minister also stressed the importance of transparency in mining governance and of better redistribution of revenues from resource exploitation for the benefit of local communities.
On the sidelines of the forum, he took part in a closed-door meeting with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, alongside in particular his Zambian and Botswanan counterparts, the DRC ambassador to Zambia and the president of the Chamber of Mines.
For Kinshasa and Lusaka, the challenge now is to strengthen their cooperation in order to develop regional value chains, facilitate trade and enable their populations to benefit more from the wealth derived from their mineral resources.
Héritier Maila / Doseco
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