Africa’s Lobito Corridor Chief Says Business, Not Geopolitics, Drives Strategy

Lobito Atlantic Railway CEO, Nicholas Fournier poses for a photograph in Lobito on April 22, 2026. The Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) is a 1,300 km (plus a 450 km DRC extension) rail line and consortium operating a critical freight route connecting the Angola Port of Lobito to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Copperbelt. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
Lobito Atlantic Railway CEO, Nicholas Fournier poses for a photograph in Lobito on April 22, 2026. Photo / Phill Magakoe / AFP

By François AUSSEILL

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.

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by Agence France-Presse

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A general view of operations at the mineral terminal of the Port of Lobito, operated by the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium, on April 22, 2026. The Lobito Atlantic Railway supports mining companies, freight operators and regional traders by transporting copper, cobalt, sulphur, reagents, fuel, agricultural, industrial and commercial products to and from Angola and the DRC. All bulk and container shipments are handled through two state-of-the-art terminals at the Port of Lobito. Photo / Phill Magakoe / AFP

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