An old Luba proverb states: « Musuminyina katu wabula », meaning « persistence always prevails. » José Mpanda Kabangu, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, embodies this principle wholeheartedly as he relentlessly pursues his vision to equip the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with its own sovereign satellite—a goal he first championed during his tenure at the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation in September 2019.

On June 5, Mpanda hosted a high-level delegation from China Unicom and Genew Technologies in Kinshasa. The meeting, part of ongoing efforts to secure the satellite project and expand the national fiber-optic network, followed his April mission to China. Key stakeholders—including representatives from the General Secretariat of PTNTIC, the Regulatory Authority for Posts and Telecommunications of Congo (ARPTC), the Congolese Fiber Company (SOCOF), the National Telecommunications Satellite Network (RENATELSAT), the National Center for Remote Sensing (CNT), and senior advisors from the Presidency and Prime Minister’s Office—joined the discussions.

Mpanda clarified that his April trip to China was not about finalizing details but about laying the groundwork for technical discussions. The Chinese delegation, which arrived in Kinshasa on June 8, will remain until June 19 to collaborate with local experts on two flagship projects: the sovereign satellite, for which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in April, and the national fiber-optic backbone, whose agreements were revised in 2025.

Three core objectives of the current negotiations

• Technical and financial structuring: Finalizing the technical framework for both projects, assessing costs, and securing funding modalities with the Ministries of Planning and Finance.
• Institutional alignment: Formalizing commitments and presenting progress to RENATELSAT, SCPT, SOCOF, CNC, CNT, SG PTNTIC, ARPTC, the Presidency, and the Prime Minister’s Office.
• Due diligence preparation: Defining scope, timelines, and Congolese delegates for site visits in China, while outlining post-due diligence steps.

Mpanda outlined four key outcomes he expects from these talks:

• Validated technical solutions;
• Confirmed financing approaches;
• Aligned institutional stakeholders;
• A scheduled due diligence mission.

The institutions spearheading this initiative span the Presidency, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministries of Posts and Telecommunications, Planning, Finance, Infrastructure, and Mines, as well as the National Cyber Defense Council (CNC). Technical entities include the General Secretariat of PTNTIC, ARPTC, FDSU, SOCOF, SCPT, RENALSAT, and CNT.