Zambia to reopen closed border with Democratic Republic of Congo
Tuesday August 13 2024
Artisanal miners work at the Tilwizembe, a former industrial copper-cobalt mine, outside of Kolwezi, the capital city of Lualaba Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 11, 2016. PHOTO | REUTERS
Zambia will reopen its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after sealing it at the weekend due to protests, blocking a key export route for the world's second-largest copper producer, the two countries said in a joint statement on Monday.
The border, which was closed following an announcement by Zambian Trade Minister Chipoka Mulenga on Saturday, will reopen on Tuesday, according to a separate statement from Congo's Trade Ministry.
Mulenga made the announcement after a Congolese ban on imported soft drinks and beer led to demonstrations by Congolese transporters in the border town of Kasumbalesa.
On Sunday, Congo said talks had begun between neighbouring countries to enable a rapid reopening of the border.
Read: Zambia, DRC sign deal to boost border crossing
On Monday, it said it would authorise the import of goods covered under the ban whose importation had been initiated before the ban came into effect.
Congo was the world's number two producer and number three exporter of copper in 2023, producing about 2.84 million tons.
Zambia is a key export route for the Central African country. Most of Congo's copper exports pass through the town of Kasumbalesa and into Zambia.