Podcast - Qui perd, qui gagne? Ep. 6: the Busanga hydroelectric plant

Several dam projects have been launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The most recent is located in the resource-rich Katanga region — the Busanga hydroelectric plant, financed by the Sino-Congolese mining company SICOMINES. The project cost around 656 million US dollars and has been operational since 2022, with a capacity of 240 megawatts.

Yet, the communities living near the dam — those directly affected by the plant — continue to voice their grievances. Three villages have been submerged, three others have lost their farmland, and residents are struggling to survive in poor housing conditions. They dispute the level of compensation they received and point out that they have no access to electricity from Busanga itself.

To help you understand the full picture of what these communities are going through — and who truly benefits from the Busanga project — ACTUALITÉ.CD, in collaboration with Resource Matters, brings you this episode of the podcast “Qui perd, qui gagne” on the commissioning of the Busanga plant.

Host: José Mukendi
Production: Olivier Muamba
Music: Samuel Hirsch

This podcast is only available in French