ENGLISH TEXT
Developing agriculture and small industry in rural DRC, which is crucial for poverty reduction, depends heavily on reopening rural roads. In this context the sector has benefited from massive donor support.
The world Bank for instance is implementing a major project of over U.S $ 50 million for the "High - Priority Roads Reopening Maintenance", which development objective is to re-establish lasting access between provincial capitals and districts. The latter should re-open about 1,800 kilometers of high- priority road network and ensure their maintenance thereafter. The land connection between the provinces of South Kivu and Katanga, and within Oriental province should be re-establishedh. This road network will serve the highest populated areas and connect to a network of about of about 7,000 km of high-priority roads already funded by various donors.
The roads targeted are Kisangani - Buta (at the borderline with South Sudan) - Bondo - Bunduki (620 km) crossing Oriental province and connecting to Equateur province; and Uvira - Kasomeno (1,180 km) crossing the South Kivu at the frontier with Burundi Republic and Katanga provinces.
China is also a major player in the sector, and recently earmarked U.S $ 3 billion of a U.S 5 billion loan for transport development during 2007. Within the latter, a road project linking Kisangani in Oriental province with Kasumbalesa in Southern Katanga, a major frontier post with Zambia will be implemented.
Belgium and the DFID (British development cooperation ) are also intervening heavenly with several projects. Rehabilitation of major should facilitate trade. These projects include : reparation of 1,900 km of roads in Kongo Central, in the cataractes and Bas-fleuve districts; 721 km of roads between Mbuji-Mayi and Lusambo; 125 km of roads in Bandundu and 110 km in Kongo Central to allow agricultural products to be transported to big cities.
Recognizing the vulnerability of earth roads to rainfalls and heavy trucks even if limited in number, an extensive maintenance programme has also been put together, funded by a newly vcreated Road Maintenance Fund.
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