A railway through Angola’s Lobito corridor — a vital source of critical minerals such as copper and cobalt — was forced to suspend operations on Sunday after nearby rivers burst their banks, causing flooding.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway said heavy rain flooded bridges over the Halo River, between Cubal and Caimbambo stations, as well as a bridge over the Cavaco River, near Benguela.
“As a result, rail traffic on the affected sections is suspended indefinitely,” it said.
Angola in 2022 granted the Lobito Atlantic Railway — a consortium of Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis SA — a 30-year concession to operate the rail link and provide a quick route for copper and cobalt exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the Lobito port on the Atlantic coast.
The trains also move sulphur in the opposite direction to DRC mines as well as agricultural commodities and industrial products from the port.
Climate change is worsening floods across southern Africa, frequently disrupting transport.
Reuters
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