DRC, Angola Forum Seeks Joint Projects and Regional Value Chains

The DRC–Angola Economic Forum in Kinshasa opened with a call to turn bilateral economic ties into practical business projects, as Congolese officials urged companies from both countries to build partnerships in strategic sectors.

Daniel Mukoko Samba, the DRC’s deputy prime minister in charge of the economy, said the two neighbours should pool their capacities to develop competitive regional value chains in hydrocarbons, fisheries, agriculture and energy.

Speaking during the third edition of the forum on April 1, Mukoko Samba said the two countries hold major natural resources, strong economic potential and a sizeable combined market that could support joint industrial growth.

He also said business-to-business exchanges, exhibitions and sector discussions should lead to concrete investments, joint ventures and other structured projects.

Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, who also addressed the forum, said this edition should mark a shift from declarations to implementation, arguing that people now expect visible economic change rather than repeated promises. A separate report on the opening said the meeting also focused on easing payments, reducing informal trade and advancing the Dilolo–Lobito corridor, seen as an important route for cross-border commerce.

Mukoko Samba used the gathering to press entrepreneurs and investors from both countries to move quickly on strategic partnerships, saying public authorities can help create the right environment, but businesses remain central to turning opportunity into growth.

That forward-looking message placed the forum’s emphasis on what comes next: projects that can deepen trade, strengthen industrial links and give new momentum to economic integration between Kinshasa and Luanda.