SADC to Address Challenges at Kasumbalesa Border Post with Inter-Ministerial Task Force Meeting
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is set to tackle the longstanding issues plaguing the Kasumbalesa Border Post through an Inter-Ministerial Task Force Meeting of SADC Ministers of Trade, Transport, and Security matters.
Scheduled for 07-09 May 2024 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this crucial gathering aims to find lasting solutions to the challenges faced by traders, transporters, drivers, and border control agencies operating at the border between the DRC and Zambia.
In an official statement issued by the SADC Secretariat, Gaborone, Botswana, the decision to convene this meeting follows a directive issued during the 43rd SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Luanda, Angola, on 17 August 2023.
At the summit, leaders instructed the SADC Secretariat to establish an Inter-Ministerial Task Force to address the recurring problems at the Kasumbalesa border post.
Situated on the border between the DRC and Zambia, the Kasumbalesa Border Post serves as a vital transit point for trade, handling goods not only from the two countries but also from other regions within SADC and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Additionally, goods from beyond the region, including those from the East African Community, West Africa, China, India, Europe, and the United States, pass through this border for consumption in various parts of the DRC.
Despite its strategic importance, the Kasumbalesa border post has been plagued by persistent challenges, including congestion, trade facilitation issues, infrastructure deficiencies, and rising insecurity, particularly for truck drivers and the wider trading community.
In response to these issues, the Inter-Ministerial Task Force Meeting will address a range of concerns affecting stakeholders on both sides of the border.
The meeting will deliberate on a draft Framework of Cooperation and Action Plan, which outlines critical activities and initiatives aimed at resolving the challenges at Kasumbalesa and satellite border posts such as Sakania, Mokambo, and Kipushi.
Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations at SADC, emphasized the significance of finding concrete solutions to the border challenges.
She highlighted that the recommendations resulting from the meeting will be presented at the next SADC Council of Ministers session in Harare, Zimbabwe.
