The new Haut-Katanga facility strengthens migration control, border security and the formal movement of goods between the DRC and Zambia.
KINSHASA, August 27, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo has officially opened a new border post at Lonshi in Haut-Katanga, expanding government infrastructure along one of the country's economically important frontiers with Zambia.
Vice-Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo inaugurated the facility on August 26 in the territory of Sakania, approximately 90 kilometres from the town of Sakania.
The opening brings together three government priorities: strengthening national-border security, improving migration controls and creating better conditions for formal cross-border commerce.
Radio Okapi reported that the ceremony was attended by Haut-Katanga's acting governor Martin Kazembe, the director-general of the Directorate General of Migration, or DGM, and other administrative and security officials.
New infrastructure for an important frontier
The Lonshi post contains 17 administrative offices, 22 dormitories for border personnel and a water borehole. These facilities give state agents permanent working and accommodation space in an area where the government wants to improve its control of movements between the DRC and Zambia.
According to BETO's detailed account of the inauguration, the facility was built following a request from Sabwe Mining, which sought a more organized route for importing and exporting mining equipment.
Authorities expect the post to serve a wider public purpose by facilitating legal commercial movements, strengthening migration controls, improving border security and helping combat cross-border fraud.
For Haut-Katanga, where mining, freight transport and regional trade support a large part of the provincial economy, better-organized border services can help reduce informal movements and give public agencies stronger oversight of people and goods crossing the frontier.
INFRASTRUCTURE
DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade
Aug 27, 2026
Aug 27, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
The new Haut-Katanga facility strengthens migration control, border security and the formal movement of goods between the DRC and Zambia.
KINSHASA, August 27, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo has officially opened a new border post at Lonshi in Haut-Katanga, expanding government infrastructure along one of the country's economically important frontiers with Zambia.
Vice-Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo inaugurated the facility on August 26 in the territory of Sakania, approximately 90 kilometres from the town of Sakania.
The opening brings together three government priorities: strengthening national-border security, improving migration controls and creating better conditions for formal cross-border commerce.
Radio Okapi reported that the ceremony was attended by Haut-Katanga's acting governor Martin Kazembe, the director-general of the Directorate General of Migration, or DGM, and other administrative and security officials.
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New infrastructure for an important frontier
The Lonshi post contains 17 administrative offices, 22 dormitories for border personnel and a water borehole. These facilities give state agents permanent working and accommodation space in an area where the government wants to improve its control of movements between the DRC and Zambia.
According to BETO's detailed account of the inauguration, the facility was built following a request from Sabwe Mining, which sought a more organized route for importing and exporting mining equipment.
Authorities expect the post to serve a wider public purpose by facilitating legal commercial movements, strengthening migration controls, improving border security and helping combat cross-border fraud.
For Haut-Katanga, where mining, freight transport and regional trade support a large part of the provincial economy, better-organized border services can help reduce informal movements and give public agencies stronger oversight of people and goods crossing the frontier.
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Government insists on Congolese law and community obligations
The inauguration also carried an accountability message. The DGM called on Sabwe Mining to comply strictly with Congolese laws and regulations and to strengthen its cooperation with local communities and public authorities.
The company was specifically reminded to respect its community-development commitments. This positions the new border post not simply as infrastructure serving private mining operations, but as a public facility expected to support state authority and local development.
The government has presented the project as part of President Félix Tshisekedi's wider policy of modernizing border infrastructure. A stronger state presence at Lonshi could help secure the frontier while making authorized travel and commerce more orderly.
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What the Lonshi post could change
The immediate benefit is institutional: immigration and security services now have a purpose-built facility from which to operate. Over time, the post could improve the processing of authorized movements and contribute to more transparent cross-border trade.
However, several operational details remain unavailable. Authorities have not publicly announced the construction cost, staffing level, opening hours, processing procedures or projected trade volumes.
The opening should therefore be described as an important infrastructure and governance step rather than proof that border delays or commercial bottlenecks have already been eliminated. Its success will depend on staffing, inter-agency coordination, road access and consistent application of Congolese law.
For the DRC, the Lonshi facility represents a visible expansion of state services on the Zambia border—and an opportunity to convert regional commerce into stronger security, better administration and broader economic benefits for Congolese communities.
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