DRC - Tanzania - Burundi Launch Regional Rail Link

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania- August 2025; The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Tanzania have launched a transformative regional rail link that promises to redefine trade and connectivity across Central and East Africa. The new block train operating on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) now connects Dar es Salaam to Burundi and the DRC via Kindu, marking a milestone aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Representing President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Communication Channels and Access, Mr. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, joined Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa at the official launch ceremony in Dar es Salaam.

A Game-Changer for Regional Trade

The new SGR route positions the DRC, with over 100 million consumers, as a central market in the region and a catalyst for interstate commerce. For Burundi, the link offers a breakthrough: access to steady supplies of fuel and essential goods, reinforcing economic stability and food security through the elimination of seasonal shortages.

This tripartite rail integration promises:

• Faster movement of goods

• Lower logistics costs

• Stronger regional supply chains

• Enhanced market access for landlocked countries

As part of the launch, Tanzania Railway Corporation officially handed over rehabilitated freight wagons, financed by the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (ASTUCE), where the DRC is a key member state.

In his remarks, VPM Jean-Pierre Bemba highlighted ongoing plans to operationalize dry ports in Tanzania that will serve Congolese cargo. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, the DRC government is finalizing the selection of a private partner to build dry ports on 45 hectares in Kwala and 15 hectares in Katosho.

Direct Economic Impact for the DRC

According to Minister Bemba, the new infrastructure projects will deliver tangible benefits for the Congolese economy:

• Increased foreign direct investment (FDI)

• Stronger anti-fraud and anti-smuggling systems

• Enhanced traceability of cargo

• Job creation in both the DRC and Tanzania

These benefits align with Congo’s broader infrastructure vision and economic diplomacy under President Tshisekedi.

Interconnecting Africa: Congo at the Center

This launch is just one piece of a larger integration strategy. The DRC and Congo-Brazzaville are also set to begin construction by December 2025 on the long-awaited ROAD & RAIL bridge linking Kinshasa and Brazzaville, the two closest capitals in the world.

Once completed, the project will connect the DRC to a broader economic corridor, tying into Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Angola, and Gabon, and reinforcing Congo’s position as a trigger economy for Africa.

At the close of the ceremony, VPM Bemba delivered a personal message from President Félix Tshisekedi to President Samia Suluhu Hassan, expressing his strong commitment to regional integration.

President Tshisekedi also conveyed his intent to co-chair the official launch ceremony of the Congolese dry port projects, once contract signing and technical procedures, especially those related to Congolese public tender laws, are finalized.

The DRC-Tanzania - Burundi SGR block train isn’t just a railway; it’s a symbol of a shifting Africa. With strategic dry ports, trade corridors, and regional bridges now in motion, the DRC is emerging not only as a major market but as a logistics hub and economic engine for the continent.