"No, the project is not at risk. On the contrary, we are deeply committed to the Lobinho Corridor," said Troy Fitrell, director of the Bureau of African Affairs at the US State Department, at a press conference at the 17th US-Africa Business Summit, which runs through Wednesday in Luanda.
Fitrell highlighted the strong commitment of Washington and private partners to this railway infrastructure that runs through Angola, from the Port of Lobito to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and added that the goal is to mobilize five billion dollars in investments for the corridor, attracting new partners.
"We are trying to generate about five billion dollars for this project and attract many more investors. Half of these investors were not even part of the project at the beginning, they were attracted later," he highlighted.
The American diplomat admitted that the negotiation process is complex, but stressed that what is at stake is expansion: "We are talking about a large and complex entity. Negotiating everything correctly can be complicated and takes time. But the issue with the Lobito Corridor is knowing how far we can go. We want to cross the Democratic Republic of Congo."
The head of the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Conor Coleman, reinforced that the teams are working "tirelessly" to complete the financial operation, in close coordination with all parties involved.
"The teams are working tirelessly on this transaction, with all parties involved: the government, the shareholders and all the financing partners. We had great discussions this week and we are very excited to continue the investment in Lobito and also in complementary investments in Angola, DR Congo and Zambia."
