Beyond Borders: Securing the Lobito Corridor Through Cross-Border Cooperation Between the DRC and Angola

The Lobito Corridor is rapidly emerging as one of Africa's most significant engines of economic transformation. By strengthening connectivity between the Atlantic coast and the heart of Central Africa, the corridor promises to unlock new opportunities for trade, investment, industrial growth, and regional integration.

Yet history has shown that major transport and trade corridors can create both opportunities and vulnerabilities.

As goods, services, and people move more efficiently across borders, criminal networks often attempt to exploit the same infrastructure for illicit activities. For countries rich in biodiversity such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola, one of the most pressing concerns is the potential rise in wildlife and forest crime.

Recognizing this reality, representatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola gathered in Kinshasa for a High-Level Cross-Border Cooperation Meeting facilitated by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), with the participation of the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), the Instituto Nacional da Biodiversidade e Áreas de Conservação (INBAC), law enforcement agencies, government institutions, and civil society partners.

More importantly, it signaled a growing recognition that environmental security must be considered an integral part of sustainable development.

A Development Opportunity That Must Be Protected

A handshake that reflects the shared commitment of DRC and Angola to strengthen cross-border cooperation in the fight against wildlife crime within the Lobito Corridor.

The vision behind the Lobito Corridor is clear: create stronger trade links, support economic growth, improve access to markets, and deepen regional integration between neighboring countries.

For AWF, supporting this vision means helping governments anticipate and mitigate risks before they become entrenched in challenges.

Rather than viewing conservation and development as competing priorities, AWF advocates for an approach in which both objectives reinforce one another. Sustainable economic growth can only succeed in the long term if the natural resources upon which communities depend are adequately protected.

As highlighted by Antoine Tabu, AWF Country Coordinator, the objective is not to slow development but to strengthen it through proactive action.

"The Lobito Corridor represents an important opportunity for economic growth and regional integration. AWF is supporting the DRC and Angola in proactively strengthening their cross-border cooperation so that increased connectivity does not create new opportunities for wildlife and forest crime."

His remarks capture a critical reality facing governments across Africa. Infrastructure investments can accelerate prosperity, but without adequate safeguards they can also provide new routes for trafficking networks involved in wildlife products, timber, and other natural resources.

The challenge therefore is not choosing between conservation and development. The challenge is ensuring that development remains sustainable.

Wildlife Crime: A Shared Threat Requiring Shared Solutions

Wildlife and forest crime are among the most profitable forms of transnational organized crime worldwide. These criminal activities rarely remain confined within national borders.

Poaching may occur in one country, trafficking may pass through another, and products often end up in international markets thousands of kilometers away.

This reality makes unilateral responses insufficient.

For this reason, strengthening collaboration between authorities in the DRC and Angola was at the heart of discussions in Kinshasa.

According to Joe Kassongo, Senior Legal Officer at AWF, effective enforcement requires much stronger collaboration among institutions responsible for combating environmental crime.

"Wildlife and forest crime do not stop at national borders. Strengthening cooperation, information sharing, and coordination between the authorities of the DRC and Angola is essential for effectively preventing and combating these crimes."

His message reflects a broader lesson increasingly recognized by conservation and law enforcement agencies alike: criminals collaborate across borders, and governments must do the same.

The future effectiveness of wildlife crime enforcement will depend not only on legislation and prosecution, but also on real-time communication, intelligence-sharing, and coordinated responses among institutions operating on both sides of the border.

Building Resilient Institutions Before Problems Escalate  

One of the most significant aspects of the meeting was its proactive nature.

Rather than responding to a major trafficking crisis after it has emerged, stakeholders are working to establish systems capable of preventing future risks.

In the same context, AWF is supporting an independent analysis aimed at assessing current trends in the illegal trade of wildlife, timber, and other natural resources within the Lobito Corridor. The study seeks to identify and map potential risks associated with the development of corridor infrastructure in the DRC, Angola, and Zambia, particularly where such infrastructure could inadvertently facilitate criminal trafficking networks, and to propose appropriate mitigation measures. The study's findings and recommendations will be presented to key stakeholders for consideration and integration into relevant decision-making processes.

The meeting builds on an AWF initiative supported by the United States Department of State that has strengthened capacities among frontline actors responsible for combating wildlife crime.

Previous interventions have targeted key locations vulnerable to trafficking, including Matadi Port and strategic border zones such as N’djili International Airport. Through partnerships with eco-guards, protected area managers, law enforcement personnel, and judicial actors, efforts have focused on improving investigations, strengthening evidence collection processes, and enhancing prosecution outcomes.

As regional connectivity increases, participants agreed that these national efforts must now evolve into stronger transboundary mechanisms capable of responding to increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks.

Trust as the Foundation of Cross-Border Cooperation

Defining the various collaboration mechanisms between the DRC and Angola.

While information-sharing agreements and enforcement mechanisms are essential, successful cooperation ultimately depends on trust.

Representing Angola's Ministry of Environment, Filomena Ilda, Head of the Legal Department, emphasized the importance of transforming dialogue into concrete action through stronger technical exchanges and institutional collaboration.

"We are convinced that cross-border cooperation must be based on trust, respect for the mandates of each institution and national legislation, as well as the recognition that protecting biodiversity and natural resources is a shared responsibility between the two countries."

Her intervention highlighted a principle that extends beyond conservation itself.

The protection of shared ecosystems requires countries to move beyond isolated action and embrace a common understanding of responsibility. Wildlife, forests, and ecological systems do not recognize political boundaries. Effective conservation therefore requires collaborative governance.

Strengthening the Collective Response

An exchange session between the Director General of ICCN and representatives of INBAC on strengthening collaboration and cooperation between the two institutions in support of shared conservation objectives.

The meeting also received strong support from Yves Milan Ngangay, Director General of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN).

Describing the gathering as a landmark initiative, he welcomed the opportunity to strengthen transboundary collaboration against wildlife and flora crime and called for similar forums to be expanded to include other neighboring countries sharing borders and protected areas with the DRC.

His message extended beyond regional collaboration to include stronger coordination among domestic institutions.

Border management agencies, customs authorities, police services, conservation agencies, immigration authorities, and judicial institutions all have a role to play in preventing environmental crime.

According to Yves Milan, failures in enforcement affect not merely individual institutions but the reputation of entire nations.

When wildlife products originating from the DRC are seized abroad, the consequences reach far beyond the agency directly involved. They affect the country's international image and credibility.

Reaffirming his commitment, he stated:

"Even in my deepest sleep, I will never support wildlife crime."

His comments reinforced a central theme of the meeting: unity is one of the most effective tools in combating organized environmental crime.

The Critical Role of Intelligence

Enforcement alone cannot address increasingly adaptive criminal networks.

Participants therefore emphasized the need for intelligence-led approaches capable of identifying trafficking routes, detecting emerging threats, and disrupting criminal operations before they expand.

Lucien Gédéon Lokumu, Director in Charge of Wildlife Crime at ICCN, called attention to the importance of human intelligence and coordinated information systems.

"Our appeal through this meeting is to highlight the importance of the HUMINT approach in addressing these challenges. This effort must be built on people, information gathering, integrated coordination, and transnational and international partnerships."

His remarks underscored the reality that successful interventions are increasingly dependent on intelligence networks, coordinated analysis, and strong partnerships among national, regional, and international actors.

The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from both countries to strengthen collaboration against wildlife and forest crime.

Among the key outcomes was the development of a draft cross-border action plan, which participants will review and adopt in the coming days. The plan is expected to provide a practical framework for cooperation, information sharing, and coordinated responses between institutions in Angola and the DRC.

The significance of this meeting extends beyond wildlife crime.

At its core, the discussion was about the kind of development Africa seeks to build.

The Lobito Corridor offers tremendous opportunities for economic growth, regional integration, and prosperity. The challenge now is ensuring that these gains are achieved without sacrificing the biodiversity and natural resources that underpin long-term social and economic well-being.

By bringing together conservation authorities, civil society and government agencies, and law enforcement institutions from Angola and the DRC, the High-Level Cross-Border Cooperation Meeting demonstrated that environmental security and economic development are not competing agendas. They are complementary pillars of sustainable growth.