The SGR railway linking Gitega-Bujumbura-Uvira-Kindu may suffer delays due to DRC failing to contribute its share to the joint project.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa of DRC said on Wednesday that her country had not paid any cash for the physibility study phase.
The railway is proposed to link Tanzania to Burundi and the DRC. She revealed that an Italian firm had been contracted to carry out a physibility study.
Suminwa added that the DRC is required to contribute U$2.5 million, an amount which has not yet been paid. “Burundi has already paid its share of U$1 million,” she added.
On the DRC side, the stretch Uvira-Kindu part is about 664 km.
“The DRC must pay its share for the joint realization of this feasibility study. We hope to be able to do this in the coming months.”
President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimye, visited Kinshasa last year (August 27-28), where he reported on the progress of the cooperation agreements signed in July 2021 between the DRC and Burundi.
Among these agreements is the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the joint project to develop a standard gauge railway (SGR) linking Uvinza, Musongati, Gitega, Uvira and Kindu, with a Gitega-Bujumbura-Uvira-Kindu section.
“As for Dar-es-Salaam, I believe they have already surpassed Dodoma in terms of construction. Soon, we will announce the start of construction of the Uvinza-Gitega sections. As for the Gitega-Bujumbura section- Uvira-Kindu, we are currently in the feasibility study phase,” he declared.
