The chief executive of the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) project to link southern African mines to an Angolan export port says his priority is the business of the operation, not the geopolitical tussle over Africa's minerals.
LAR holds a 30-year concession to operate the Benguela railway, a key artery of the planned Lobito Corridor linking Angola to the mining belt of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a longer-term ambition to connect to Zambia.
kAm(6DE6C? 8@G6C?>6?ED 92G6 AC@>@E65 E96 4@CC:5@C 2D 2? 2=E6C?2E:G6 6IA@CE C@FE6 7@C 4C:E:42= >:?6C2=D 2E 2 E:>6 H96? r9:?2 5@>:?2E6D >F49 @7 E96 C68:@?VD >:?:?8 2?5 AC@46DD:?8 42A24:EJ]k^Am
kAmqFE 49:67 6I64FE:G6 }:49@=2D u@FC?:6C E@=5 pu! :? 2? :?E6CG:6H :? E96 A@CE 4:EJ @7 {@3:E@ E92E 9:D AC:@C:E:6D 2C6 @A6C2E:@?2=]k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 f_ A6C46?E @7 >:?6D :? E96 s#r 2C6 r9:?6D6\@H?65 2?5 D@>6 2C6 2=C625J FD:?8 E96 =:?6 E@ D9:A 4@AA6C 2?5 C646:G6 DF=A9FC[ H9:49 :D FD65 :? 4@AA6C AC@46DD:?8[ u@FC?:6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmt?5 3FJ6CD[ 96 D2:5[ 2C6 DAC625 24C@DD C68:@?D]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 2C6 :? E96 p>6C:42D[ :? tFC@A6 @C :? pD:2[Q u@FC?:6C D2:5] Q$@ H6 2C6 E@E2==J 2A@=:E:42=]Qk^Am
kAm%96 4@>A2?J :D @H?65 3J 2 4@?D@CE:F> =65 3J 4@>>@5:E:6D EC256C %C27:8FC2 2?5 !@CEF8F6D6 4@?DECF4E:@? 7:C> |@E2\t?8:=[ 6249 9@=5:?8 ch]d A6C46?E]k^Am
kAmq6=8:2? AC:G2E6 C2:= @A6C2E@C '64EFC:D @H?D E96 C6>2:?:?8 @?6 A6C46?E]k^Am
kAmu:?2?4:?8 :?4=F56D 2 =@2? @7 >@C6 E92? Sd__ >:==:@? 7C@> E96 &$ x?E6C?2E:@?2= s6G6=@A>6?E u:?2?46 r@CA@C2E:@? WsurX[ 7F6==:?8 A6C46AE:@?D @7 (6DE6C? 324<:?8]k^Am
kAmQxE :D :?5665 2 =@2? 2?5 H6 A2J :?E6C6DE @? :E[Q u@FC?:6C D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ w:89 56>2?5 \k^9am
kAm{p# 3682? @A6C2E:@?D :? a_ab 2?5 :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 7C6:89E EC277:4 @? E96 p?8@=2? D64E:@? @7 E96 =:?6[ >@G:?8 >:?:?8\C6=2E65 42C8@ 2D H6== 2D DFAA=J:?8 7F6= 2?5 82D E@ E96 4@F?ECJVD :?E6C:@C]k^Am
kAm!2DD6?86C D6CG:46D 2C6 @A6C2E65 3J p?8@=2VD DE2E6\@H?65 C2:=H2J 4@>A2?J r2>:?9@ 56 u6CC@ 56 q6?8F6=2 WruqX]k^Am
kAm|F49 @7 E96 C@FE6 :D D:?8=6 EC24< 2?5 :E @?=J 5@F3=6D 2E DE2E:@?D[ H96C6 EC2:?D 42? A2DD 6249 @E96C[ 2 4@?DEC2:?E E92E =:>:ED EC277:4 2?5 >2<6D E:>6E23=6 5:D4:A=:?6 4C:E:42=]k^Am
kAmQx? a_ad[ H6 C2? d[___ EC2:?D :? p?8@=2[Q u@FC?:6C D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E h_ A6C46?E H6C6 A2DD6?86C EC2:?D 2?5 E96 C6DE 7C6:89E 7@C E96 5@>6DE:4 >2C<6E 2?5 E96 s#r]k^Am
kAm~? E96 r@?8@=6D6 C@FE6[ 96 D2:5 {p# 42? ?@H CF? FA E@ @?6 Q4@AA6C EC2:?Q 2 52J E@ {@3:E@ 2?5 @?6 QDF=A9FC EC2:?Q 2 52J 324< E@H2C5 E96 >:?6D]k^Am
kAmr@AA6C 244@F?ED 7@C E96 3F=< @7 {p#VD r@?8@=6D6 7C6:89E] %96 >6E2= :D D9:AA65 2D 42E9@56 A=2E6D :? D62=65 4@?E2:?6CD[ C6AC6D6?E:?8 23@FE hd A6C46?E @7 E96 G@=F>6 7C@> E96 s#r]Â k^Am
kAm{p# 92D 2=D@ EC2?DA@CE65 4@32=E[ A24<2865 :? @?6\E@??6 328D[ 2?5 4@F=5 42CCJ @E96C >:?6C2=D 6:E96C :? 3F=< @C A24<2865 7@C>]k^Am
kAmQ(6 C646:G6 2 =@E @7 AC@A@D2=D 7@C >2?82?6D6] u@C =:E9:F>[ E@@] qFE 7@C E96 >@>6?E[ H6 2C6 7@4FD:?8 @? H92E :D :? 9:896DE 56>2?5i 4@AA6C[Q u@FC?:6C D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ V!=2? qV \k^9am
kAm$42=:?8 FA H:== C6BF:C6 >@C6 H@C< @? E96 r@?8@=6D6 D:56 @7 E96 3@C56C[ 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm%96 4@CC:5@CVD 64@?@>:4D H@F=5 :>AC@G6 :7 EC2:?D 4@F=5 36 =6?8E96?65 7C@> 2C@F?5 `d H28@?D E@ ad 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J E@ d_[ 3FE E92E 56A6?5D @? EC24< 4@?5:E:@? 2?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6]k^Am
kAm{p# :D DFAA@CE:?8 s#rVD DE2E6 C2:=H2J @A6C2E@C[ $}rr[ H:E9 6IA6CE:D6 2?5 2 AC6\7:?2?4:?8 >6492?:D> E@ 7F?5 H@C<D @? E96 EC24< 7C@> E96 p?8@=2? 3@C56C E@ z@=H6K: 2?5 @? E@ {F3F>32D9:[ E96 >2:? 4:EJ :? E96 4@F?ECJVD 4@AA6C 36=E]k^Am
kAmQxE H:== E2<6 E:>6[ 3FE H6 2C6 4@?7:56?E E92E H:E9:? EH@ J62CD[ H6 H:== 92G6 2 4@?E:?F@FD =:?6 7C@> {@3:E@ E@ z@=H6K:[Q u@FC?:6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 +2>3:2? D68>6?E @7 E96 {@3:E@ r@CC:5@C \\ @7E6? 56D4C:365 2D E96 >:DD:?8 =:?< \\ :D ?@E @? {p#VD ?62C\E6C> 286?52[ 96 25565[ 4:E:?8 E96 D42=6 2?5 4@DE @7 C6923:=:E2E:?8 E96 C2:= :?7C2DECF4EFC6]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 366? 2AAC@24965 7@C ?F>6C@FD 5:D4FDD:@?D C682C5:?8 2 A@DD:3=6 6IE6?D:@? E@ }5@=2 :? +2>3:2[ 3FE 2E AC6D6?E[ :E :D ?@E C62==J @? >J C252C]Qk^Am
kAm%96 :?E6CG:6H 42>6 2D u@FC?:6C H2D >2?28:?8 5:DCFAE:@? 7C@> D6G6C6 7=@@5:?8 :? p?8@=2VD q6?8F6=2 AC@G:?46 `_ 52JD 62C=:6C E92E 96 D2:5 H@F=5 C6BF:C6 H66<D @7 C6A2:C H@C<]Â k^Am
kAmQ$@ H6 AFE 2 !=2? q :? A=246[Q 56D4C:3:?8 2 bd_\<:=@>6EC6 Waa_\>:=6X C@25 92F= 367@C6 E96 42C8@ 42? 36 EC2?D76CC65 324< @?E@ C2:=]Â k^Am
kAmQ&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96C6VD ?@ @E96C H2J E92? FD:?8 ECF4<D :? E9:D EJA6 @7 D:EF2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAm72=^9@^3C^D3<^23Dk^Am
