The World Bank and Zambian government convened a summit in Lusaka bringing together officials from Zambia, Angola, and Congo to advance the Lobito Corridor as an integrated regional economic route, aiming to generate investment opportunities and employment across the three nations.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema won re-election with 2.97 million votes against opponent Brian Mundubile's 1.86 million, securing a second five-year term to address economic recovery and copper production amid opposition concerns over electoral conduct.
President Hichilema's Zambia is expanding copper production from 640,000 to three million tonnes by the early 2030s while diversifying into uranium and gold, attracting multi-billion dollar investments including from Bill Gates and BHP to drive economic growth ahead of elections.
South Africa's mining minister criticized DR Congo's US minerals deal, warning it threatens African sovereignty and urges regional collaboration to prevent a "race to the bottom" in resource competition.
US Deputy Secretary Garcia visited Ethiopia to strengthen bilateral trade relations, expand investment partnerships, and advance regional peace and stability in the Horn of Africa amid ongoing conflicts.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema secured re-election with 60 percent of the vote despite election disruptions, maintaining leadership of Africa's second-largest copper producer amid U.S.-China competition for resources.
Zambia halted two-billion-dollar US health aid negotiations, citing unacceptable data-sharing privacy violations and conditioning on preferential mineral access, escalating diplomatic tensions amid broader African skepticism of similar US health agreements.
Zambia has suspended fuel taxes for three months. The move aims to mitigate the economic impact of rising fuel costs. The suspension will end after the three-month period.
Brazil's ApexBrasil opened its first African office in Addis Ababa to strengthen economic ties with Ethiopia, while Ethiopia advanced mortgage refinancing and diplomatic partnerships with Thailand, the Netherlands, and India during September 2026.
Kenya and Zambia both reached 6.5% inflation rates, though facing distinct economic pressures, reflecting similar monetary policy effectiveness across the two East African economies despite underlying structural differences.
The U.S. secured a 40% stake in Congo's copper-cobalt project, but China dominates African mineral refining and exports, while Japan and others struggle against political instability barriers.