Zambia closes border with Congo, blocking key copper trade route
Zambia has temporarily shut its borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government said at the weekend, in a move that could delay exports from Africa’s biggest copper producer.
“We have decided to take precautions that we seal the borders for now,” Chipoka Mulenga, Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, said in comments broadcast over state-owned ZNBC Saturday night. “We may start experiencing a build-up of trucks.”
The move follows protests in Congo that flared after the government of that country banned certain beverage imports from Zambia, ZNBC reported. Mulenga didn’t provide a time-frame on how long the government will keep the border closed.
Most of Congo’s copper travels through Zambia to reach regional ports.
