DR Congo president lays foundation stone for Chinese-built ring roads project

Trucks and a banner are seen at the launch ceremony of the ring roads project in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on June 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Shi Yu)

KINSHASA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the construction of Kinshasa's ring roads project, one of the priority infrastructure projects within the cooperation package of "resource for projects" between the DRC and China.

During the ceremony, attended by high-ranking personalities, including Prime Minister Judith Tuluka Suminwa, President Tshisekedi, driving a wheel loader himself, personally launched the project's construction. He said he was "reassured" by the Chinese techniques while wishing for a more diverse and deeper cooperation between the two countries.

For Alexis Gisaro Muvuni, minister of State for Infrastructure and Public Works, this project marks "a new stage" for DRC-China cooperation which strengthens DRC's road interconnectivity with various infrastructure projects.

This project will cross four communes of Kinshasa, home to more than 17 million residents, with nine penetrating roads connected by four interchanges, which would help relieve traffic congestion.

Zhao Bin, Chinese ambassador to the DRC, expressing his gratitude for DRC's support for the "resource for projects" cooperation package, described this project as Kinshasa's "new landmark" and a "new symbol" of China-DRC cooperation in terms of infrastructure.

Several projects, including the partial rehabilitation of the national road N1, also within the "resource for projects" cooperation package, will be launched to push forward socioeconomic development, highlighted Zhao.

Since Tshisekedi's state visit to China in May 2023, bilateral economic and commercial cooperation has been accelerating on all fronts, stressed the Chinese ambassador, citing the soon completion of the work of the Central African Cultural and Arts Center, a donation from the Chinese government, as well as an investment forum planned for August.

An amendment to the "resource for projects" cooperation agreement was signed in March between the group of Chinese companies and the DRC government, which provides for an investment of some 7 billion dollars mainly intended for the DRC infrastructure construction and the SICOMINES, a joint venture created in 2008 by the DRC public mining company and a group of Chinese companies.

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi (L) waves to the crowd in DRC's capital Kinshasa on June 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Shi Yu)

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi drives a wheel loader at the launch ceremony of the ring roads project in DRC's capital Kinshasa on June 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Shi Yu)