Lusaka – From September 10 to 13, the Practitioners’ Network (PN) for International Cooperation carried out a fact-finding mission along the Lobito Corridor, with stops in Lubumbashi (DRC), Ndola and Lusaka (Zambia). The initiative brought together representatives from AICS, the European Union, and development agencies from nine EU Member States, including Italy, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, Finland and Portugal.
The mission aimed to strengthen coordination and identify practical ways to contribute, in a Team Europe approach, to the development of the Corridor. Backed strongly by Italy under the EU’s Global Gateway, the Lobito Corridor project involves rehabilitating and building rail and road infrastructure to link mining areas in DRC and Zambia to the port of Lobito in Angola.
Beyond infrastructure, the initiative also includes a “soft” dimension, promoting sustainable social and economic development for local communities by fostering trade, jobs, and the integration of agricultural and mining value chains.
In Lusaka, the mission’s central event was the inauguration of AICS’s new antenna office, reporting to the Maputo headquarters. The ceremony was attended by Italy’s Ambassador to Zambia, Enrico De Agostini, PN agencies and Italian CSOs. AICS Director Marco Rusconi reiterated Italy’s commitment to Zambia, with a focus on food security and the environment, in line with the Mattei Plan and the Global Gateway vision.