FRELIMO Secretary General Highlights Port of Lobito’s Strategic Importance


Lobito: The Secretary General of FRELIMO, Mozambique’s ruling party, Chakil Aboobacar, on Friday in the municipality of Lobito, province of Benguela highlighted the strategic role of the port company in that city within the Lobito Corridor. The port ensures a significant portion of the subregion’s international trade volume by transporting minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia to the Americas, Europe, and Asia.



According to Angola Press News Agency, during his visit, Aboobacar emphasized the cooperation between Angola and Mozambique in political and economic matters. The politician considered the port company a space of opportunity and integration for the peoples of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). “The Port of Lobito is a concrete example of how our nations can transform their shared history into instruments of shared progress,” he stated.



Cristiano Sobrinho, Port CEO, said the Port of Lobito is a fundamental logistics platform for goods flowing from Central and East Africa, playing a decisive role in regional economic integration and strengthening value chains between Angola, the DRC, and Zambia. “The visit of the FRELIMO Secretary-General honors us greatly and reinforces the Port of Lobito’s international recognition as a strategic asset for Angola’s and the region’s sustainable development,” he said.



The Lobito Corridor is a strategic route of great economic and logistical importance for Angola, neighboring countries, and the Southern African region. It connects the port, located on Angola’s Atlantic coast, with the country’s interior regions and landlocked countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia. This important corridor is an essential route for exporting and importing goods, especially minerals like copper and cobalt, which are mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia. It provides these countries with access to the global market, thereby simplifying logistics costs.



Continued investment and international partnerships have the potential to make the Lobito Corridor one of Africa’s most important transport and trade hubs and stimulate economic growth in Angola’s interior provinces. Construction of the Port of Lobito began in 1903 with the start of work on the Benguela Railway. The Port of Lobito’s anchorage area is approximately 5.2 kilometers long, 300 meters wide at the entrance, and 2,000 meters wide at its widest point. It covers an area of about 6 km².



This visit strengthens bilateral relations between FRELIMO and the MPLA amid challenges that demand greater political and economic dialogue between the two countries.