Central Africa: DR Congo Pushes Regional Integration to Anchor Stability in Great Lakes Region

19 November 2025
Capital FM (Nairobi)
By Kevin Rotich

Kinshasa, DRC — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has renewed calls for deeper regional economic integration as a pathway to lasting peace in the Great Lakes Region, rallying governments, financiers and development partners to accelerate cross-border infrastructure and trade initiatives.

More than 250 officials, private-sector representatives, international institutions and development partners convened in Kinshasa for a High-Level Segment held alongside the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka urged member states to move from diplomatic commitments to practical cooperation, saying sustainable peace depends on investments in infrastructure, trade, employment and trust-building among neighbouring countries.

She reiterated the DRC's plan to position itself as a regional integration hub, leveraging its membership across several economic blocs to drive convergence and growth.

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Discussions focused on three major cross-border transport corridors viewed as critical to unlocking trade and easing logistics:

  • The Lobito Corridor, connecting the DRC, Zambia and Angola to the Atlantic Ocean.
  • The Tanzania-Burundi-DRC railway line, opening access to the Indian Ocean.
  • The DRC-Uganda road corridor, aimed at turning border communities into economic zones.

Panelists -- including ministers, regional bodies, development banks and private investors -- called for stronger coordination among regional institutions to avoid duplication of mandates and improve execution of joint projects. They noted that harmonised taxation, customs procedures and infrastructure standards will be essential to make corridors competitive.

Development partners, including the AU, EU and UN, affirmed their support for regional integration frameworks, while noting that economic diplomacy and private-sector investment remain central to long-term stability in the Great Lakes.

Closing the meeting, Minister of Regional Integration Floribert Anzuluni warned against allowing the initiative to lose momentum, calling for stronger monitoring structures and announcing plans to institutionalize the High-Level Segment for future editions.

The forum signaled growing consensus that the region's economic potential -- if unlocked through integration -- can reinforce peace efforts and deliver shared development outcomes.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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