Interview with Guy Georges Mbaka, Minister of River Economy and Waterways, since September 24, 2022. This sector, facing financial and infrastructure problems, should be improved to support the country's economic development.
What are the main challenges to river transport in Congo?
Waterway navigation in Central Africa, generally speaking, is the preferred mode of transport. Indeed, the Congo Basin has an important hydrographic network through which populations and a diverse range of products transit.
Second in the world after the Amazon in terms of flow, the Congo River constitutes one of the essential elements of the country's river transport network and, moreover, forms, with the Oubangui, the transequatorial axis of the international river network. With its numerous tributaries, it represents a historic axis of transport and economic exchange for the entire sub-region, through the ports of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangui in the Central African Republic, on the one hand, and Brazzaville, the secondary river ports of Ouesso, Mossaka, Impfondo, Ngombe and the landing points of Liranga, Bétou, Boyélé and Makotimpoko in the Republic of Congo, on the other hand.
The river network in the Republic of Congo is very extensive: nearly 5,500 kilometers of navigable waterways, including 2,467 kilometers of interstate river network, consisting of the Congo River and the Sangha and Oubangui rivers. This network allows passenger and goods traffic between, on the one hand, Brazzaville and Bangui, in the Central African Republic, Brazzaville and Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and, on the other hand, Brazzaville and the Republic of Cameroon, through the port of Ouesso.
There are many challenges to be addressed in revitalizing the river navigation system. Indeed, reviving river transport in Congo is one of the main missions assigned to the Ministry of River Economy and Waterways, which I am responsible for leading.
To achieve this, a number of actions must first be undertaken, including:
– ensure the maintenance of waterways through dredging, marking and rock removal operations on waterways, with a view to ensuring their navigability in all seasons;
– carry out the rehabilitation of existing port platforms and the construction and equipment of new ones;
– acquire new floating units, in order to increase the supply of river transport;
– create a new river transport company in public-private partnership;
– build a modern shipyard.
These actions constitute constraints that call for the need to initiate partnerships with investors with proven expertise.
It is with this in mind that promising contacts have been established with several partners who have expressed their willingness to support Congo in its efforts to revitalize the river economy and waterways sector, by investing in these projects deemed to be priorities.
These are, briefly presented, the challenges that the Government, through the Ministry of River Economy, is called upon to meet.
What is the status of the project between the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic aimed at improving navigation on the Oubangui River?
In 2007, the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic established a sub-regional integration body called the Economic Interest Group for the Common Maintenance Service of Waterways, abbreviated to GIE-SCEVN. This inter-state structure is responsible for buoyage, dredging, deswimming, hydrographic and geodetic studies. The objective is to ensure the safety of river navigation.
Unfortunately, the GIE-SCEVN is struggling to maintain its technical and operational capacity due to the difficulties encountered in financing its activities.
Furthermore, it benefits from funding from the World Bank intended to strengthen its capacities, through the Regional Project for the Improvement of Road and River Transport Corridors in Central Africa (PRACAC).
Is the line connecting Brazzaville and Port Oyo operational?
This line will soon be operational. Indeed, a concession agreement has been signed with an investor for the operation of the Oyo port. The latter has included in its program of activities the maintenance of the Alima River, with a view to ensuring its navigability in all seasons.
There is talk of cooperation between China and Congo in the development of the Congo River. What is the status of the talks? And have you initiated other similar cooperation initiatives with other countries?
To date, there is no active cooperation with China in the framework of the development of the Congo River. However, a memorandum of understanding and a memorandum were signed in this framework with Chinese private partners, respectively in April and September 2019.
Given the numerous challenges, foreign partners willing to support the Congolese state in meeting them are all welcome.