A large and important railway project, which is heavily funded by Western governments, is now at the center of a controversy. An investigation shows it could force thousands of people from their homes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project, called the Lobito Corridor, aims to rebuild a key railway from Congolese mines to a port in Angola. However, reports now say it threatens communities along the route.
The plan focuses on repairing the old Benguela railway, which has been mostly unused for many years. A company, the Lobito Atlantic Railway, won a long-term agreement to run the Angolan part. The project receives strong financial and political support from both the European Union and the United States. Their main goal is to create a fast export path for copper and cobalt. These minerals are very important for making batteries for electric cars and other green technology. Because of this, the project is part of a bigger global competition for resources between Western countries, China, and Gulf states.
However, a new report from the group Global Witness highlights the human cost. Using satellite images, their study shows that upgrades in Congo, especially near the mining city of Kolwezi, might require destroying about 1,200 buildings. They estimate this could leave up to 6,500 people homeless. This is because authorities are suddenly enforcing an old rule that bans construction near the railway tracks, a rule that was ignored for a long time.
In Kolwezi’s Bel Air area, people are afraid and confused. Many built homes or businesses next to the railway when no one enforced the rule. The system of land ownership there is very complicated. Some people bought land from railway workers, while others bought from sellers who may not have legally owned the property. A community representative named Emmanuel explained that some residents "had bought land from vendors who may not have owned it."
Officials have not offered much comfort. A local government minister called people living in the area "illegals," showing a very firm position. This conflict highlights a major problem: the push for large infrastructure projects versus the reality of people living informally on the land.
This situation creates a serious problem for the project's international supporters. They promote the Lobito Corridor as a better, more sustainable project. But now, it risks harming local communities in a way that is often criticized in other mining areas. The next few months will show if the groups involved can balance the world's need for minerals with the rights of the people living where these minerals are found.