Summary
Content
UNJLC
DRC Logistics Bulletin # 2
October 2005
1. AIR
2. GIS
3. RIVER AND LAKES TRANSPORT IN THE EAST
1. AIR
MONUC Humanitarian affairs section (HAS)
The UNJLC Aviation specialist had a meeting with the MONUC Humanitarian Affairs Section (HAS). Continued cooperation between HAS and UNJLC is foreseen.
The following information concerning MONUC HAS is applicable:
One of their main functions is aviation facilitation of MONUC aircraft to the humanitarian community. Through HAS coordination, MONUC has provided free transport of 7,146 humanitarian personnel, 919 MT of humanitarian cargo and 177 urgent medical cases in the past year. MONUC at present operates 74 aircraft that will significantly increase by the year end. The present utilization per aircraft stands at 85% according to MONUC Air Ops.
Users of MONUC flights must be registered with MONUC-HAS and service is on a seat availability and stand-by basis only. For more information contact the MONUC-HAS Travel unit at muhura@un.org, boyenge@un.org or at +243 81 890 6094.
Commercial air operators audit
A letter from the DSRSG was forwarded to a number of Embassies to seek their participation in the foreseen aviation audit. This is a very important issue and UNJLC is in the process of moving this process forward. A draft TOR and the mechanisms for this audit are planned to be discussed between the participants in this exercise during the coming week.
WFP HAS
WFP HAS informed UNJLC that they are in the process to review their costing per seat on all their sectors. Information on changed costings will be made available as soon as possible.
2. GIS
The UNJLC GIS officer has been in contact and in process to collect data from the other GIS systems (UN, NGOs and National Institutions) active in DRC. This process will enhance the creation of a common database within the GIS environment in DRC.
This phase will support the opportunity to organize a Working Group planned for the 19th of October. The main objective of this workshop will be to organize the Working Group management, to assess the possibility of synergy and sharing GIS potential and also ascertain possible other partners in the process.
GIS Potential: contact list and inventory capturing.
- Update contact list: GIS UNJLC has made contact with 15 operational GIS formations. It seems that there is an average of 50 active GIS formations available in DRC. GIS UNJLC will endeavour to also contact these units and share appropriate data.
- Update inventory: GIS UNJLC will register each Working Group participant on a specific index. Additional information regarding available geo data base and needs will also be defined. It will be compiled within the "OSFAC-CARPE program" (environmental NGOs).
Data compilation
GIS UNJLC will coordinate within the Working Group, information centralizing to safeguard reference file harmonisation, parameters standardisation/ update as well as exchanging relevant data and information. Basic geographic data collection (administrative limits, communication/transport network, cities and villages, topography, land cover) is essential to create a route optimization model. Within this framework OCHA, WFP-VAM, UNMACC, UNHCR and UNDP are already sharing their data with UNJLC. MONUC and OSFAC-CARPE program will also participate in this new action.
Working Group set up and first meeting preparation.
Why a GIS Working Group in DRC?
- To facilitate synergy, information diffusion and sharing.
- To have the benefit of a standard data base with updated reference files
- To join competences to optimise GIS action and efficiency
- To support a route optimisation model creation and dissemination
First Working Group meeting purpose.
- To coordinate the Working Group, to complete the inventory and contact list.
- To assess phases of data base harmonisation from basic geographic information.
- To define referential and standard methodology.
- To explore the establishment of a central mechanism:
- Update, exchange and analyse 'minimum' Metadata.
- Common projects and services exchange and sharing.
3. RIVER, LAKE AND RAIL TRANSPORT IN THE EAST
THE SNCC (Societe National de chemins de fer Congolais) in the EAST of DRC
Despite its name concerning railway, the SNCC is one of the main actors operating on the river and lake network in the east of DRC. The SNCC is a governmental owned company.
Transport assets
The Fleet in term of quantity and capacity the fleet of the SNCC is broken down as follow:
Tug boats and monopiece
| Localisation | Affected | available | operational |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Kivu | 13 | 9 | 3 |
| Lake Tanganyika | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Middle reach | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Upper reach | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Barges
| Localisation | Affected | available | operational |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Kivu | 31 | 27 | 15 |
| Lake Tanganyika | 14 | 10 | 5 |
| Middle reach | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| Upper reach | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Lake Kivu:
Push tugs: Capacity between 350 tones/unit and 500 tones/ unit.
Barges: Capacity between 120-125 tones/unit and 350 tones /unit.
Cargo and passenger vessel: The Karisimbi 100 tones/ unit, Mikenu 125 tones/ unit.
Lake Tanganyika:
Push tugs: Capacity between 120 tones/unit and 2000 tones/ unit capacity.
Barges: Capacity between 120 tones/unit and 900 tones/unit capacity.
Passenger and Cargo vessels: Le Zongue 2000 tones (push tug), Lukuka 600 tones (Push tug), Tembue 550 tones (push tug).
Ports served by the SNCC in the East of DRC
Lake Kivu
Bukavu, Goma and the Iojwi Island
The ports served on the Island are the following one:
Manvou, Kioumba, Bougaroula, Kachofou, Bukavu
The ports of Goma and Bukavu have docks and warehouse facilities approximate 700M2
Lake Tanganyika
The length of the Lake Tanganyika is 1435 km and connects the DRC with Zambia, Tanzania and Burundi.
From the Tanganyika the SNCC serve the following destinations:
Kalemie, Uvira, Moba, Kabimba, Bujumbura (Burundi), Kigoma (Tanzania), Pulungu (Zambia)
Kalemie
The port of Kalemie connects the SNCC network to the Tanzanian line Kigoma - Dar Es Salaam; The port of Kalemie has a capacity of 500 T/day with two shifts. It has 130 m of quay and 3 mobile cranes, but non functional, the vessels can not reach land, due to silting-ups.
The port is well equipped to meet the needs for transport but the effective capacity of the Tanzanian way is limited by the congestion at the port of Dar Es Salaam. The buildings of the port require rehabilitation.
Middle reach
The middle reach begins at Kindu passing by Ubundu and finishing at kisangani with a total length of 310 km. The SNCC dosen't actually navigates on the middle reach due to the break down of their fleet.
Upper Reach
The Upper reach begins at Kongolo and run until Malemba-Nkulu, its length is around 390 km.
The SNCC does not operate on this reach.
Comments
Main problems encountered by the SNCC are the hard competition from the private sector and the lack of handling equipment. In most of the port the handling of equipment is carried out manually.
Degradation and out datedness of the sailing material and the harbour infrastructures. Degradations and deterioration of material and installations noted elsewhere touch the sailing material, the shipyards as well as the harbour infrastructures. The age of the sailing units varies between 29 and 99 years, that of the harbour cranes varies between 19 and 67 years. Moreover, certain quays suffer from disorders which are due to among other to the important overloads of the surface of storage and to the effects of the war.
In general, all the sailing material and the harbour infrastructures require a complete rehabilitation.
Rail Network
General Info
The land transportation system is a network of railways, roads, and inland rivers and lakes linked at strategic points so whether domestic or external, the transport of goods usually requires more than one mode.
The railway network is mainly used for interregional and external transport.
Characteristics of the Railway network
Total usable length:
Decrease from 5,138 km in 1995 to 4,772 km in 2002.
Narrow gauge:
3,621 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); (2002)
125 km 1.000-m gauge; (2002)
1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2002);
3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); (1996)
Rail transport Corridors
South/West
The main line links Lubumbashi to Ilebo in Kasai-Occidental, where cargo is normally transferred to barges which travel down the Kasai and Congo rivers to Kinshasa, although this link now functions sporadically. The railway transport from Lubumbashi to the Kasai river port of Ilebo transit by barge transport from Ilebo to Kinshasa, and rail transport from Kinshasa to the port of Matadi.
The railway line between Matadi and Kinshasa is run by ONATRA and carries a third of the traffic between the two cities despite the lamentable state of the competing road link.
East
The railway of the East with KALEMIE pass by the Lake TANGANIKA is connected to the railroad of TANZANIA, thus reaching the seaport of DAR-ES-SALAAM on the Indian Ocean.
South
The way of the South with SAKANIA where the SNCC is inter-connected with the railroads of ZAMBIA, of ZIMBABWE, of MOBAMBIQUE and SOUTH AFRICA, reaches the large ports of the Southern Africa (Maputo, Beira, Durban, East London and Port Elisabeth).
West
For the western corridor at DILOLO the SNCC is in connection with the railroad of BENGUELA (CFB) in ANGOLA to the seaport of LOBITO on the Atlantic Ocean. The Benguela railway linking Katanga to the Angolan port of Lobito has been unusable since the 1970s.
In addition to the eastern and southern railways, SNCC also operates connecting truck services and lake transport and has a working relationship with the South African railways, on which it depends for locomotives and rolling stock.
DRC Rivers and lakes
Rivers
The Congo River is the largest river in Western Central Africa. Its overall length of 4,380 km makes it the second longest in Africa. The river and its tributaries flow through the second largest rain forest area in the world, only the Amazon Rainforest being larger. The river also has the second-largest flow in the world, behind the Amazon, and the second-largest watershed of any river, again trailing the Amazon and slightly ahead of the Mississippi.
The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of East Africa Rift, as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru, which feed the Lualaba River, which then becomes the Congo below Boyoma Falls.
The Congo flows generally west from Kisangani just below the falls, then gradually bends southwest, passing by Mbandaka, joining with the Ubangi River, and running into the Pool Malebo. Kinshasa and Brazzaville are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool, and then the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons running by Matadi and Boma, and into the sea at the small town of Muanda.
Nearly the entire Congo is readily navigable, and with railways now bypassing the three major falls, much of the trade of central Africa passes along it, including copper, palm oil (as kernels), sugar, coffee, and cotton. The river is also potentially valuable for hydroelectric power, and the Inga facility below Pool Malebo is the first to exploit the river.
In February 2005 South Africa's Eskom, announced a proposal to drastically increase the capacity of the Inga facility through improvements and the construction of a new hydroelectric dam. The project would bring the maximum output of the facility to 40 GW, double that of China's Three Gorges Dam.
Some information on numerous Ports on the Congo River and their Caracteristics.
The river transport in the DRC is constituted of 16238 km of navigable river network and 40 ports.
The primary water corridor in Congo is represented by the Congo River divided in two series of falls in three navigable reach. The middle reach from Kinshasa to Kisangani is the most important one; with 1734 Km. the remaining reach are the higher stretch form Kongolo to malemba Nkulu and the lower stretch from Kisangani to Kindu 550 km, important lakes with considerable traffics are represented by the lakes Tanganyika, Kivu and Maidombe, Albert and Mweru.
Main ports in DRC
Major inland ports are Kinshasa, Mbandaka, Ilebo, Lisala, and Kisangani. The parastatal transport firm ONATRA (Office National des Transports) operates many river port facilities, barges, and shipyards, but there is competition in these areas from private and parastatal companies. Maintenance of inland navigation channels and enforcement of river port regulations is the responsibility of the Régie des Voies Fluviales (RVF).
Matadi
Congo's only significant deepwater port is Matadi, on the Congo River estuary 90 miles from the Atlantic it lies at the farthest point navigable by oceangoing vessels.
However the channel is subject to tides and silting the Regie des Voies Maritimes (RVM) is responsible for dredging and marking.
Matadi, a port congested by geography is operated by ONATRA and is among the most expensive in Africa.
As the principal port with one of the largest harbours in Central Africa Matadi it is essential to the economy of the DRC and is linked to Kinshasa by rail.
Due to the DRC's economic and political troubles in the late 1980s and 1990s, trade through the port diminished and the condition of the facilities deteriorated.
The port of Matadi counts 1.600 m of quay and 7 stores including 3 with a floor, for a covered surface of 64.000 m². The platforms cover a surface of 115.000 m². These infrastructures are in a very bad condition. After having reached the record level of 1,6 million tons in 1986, tonnage forwarding by the port of Matadi decreased little by little.
Boma
Boma is a small port, situated in Bas Congo, a port and railhead; it exports tropical timber, bananas, cacao, and palm products, directly on the Atlantic coast. Yet the channel here has become hard to navigate, as dredging has not been carried out for years. Where once the river could be navigated by boats carrying up to 24,000 metric tons, now is the limit 7,000 to 8,000 metric tons of cargo due to the dangerous sand bars in the river.
The port of Boma counts 480 m of linear quay, with three stations offering with the acceptable draughts of 7,50 m, 7 m and 10 m. It has 6 stores for a covered surface of 9.700 m² and 20.000 m² of quay levels being able to be extended to 40.000/50.000 m². The situation of the infrastructures and the equipment of the port of Boma seems better than the port of Matadi, but requires however a scheduled and in-depth maintenance. The Traffic of this port was approximately 43.600 T in 1995, against 66.700 T in 1990
Ilebo
The River Port of ILEBO: link of the national way going from Sakania-border to Matadi passing by Kinshasa, is an important point of transit for the mining products of the GECAMINES and agricultural products of the KASAI towards KINSHASA on the one hand and the manufactured goods of KINSHASA towards the KASAI, the KATANGA, the MANIEMA and the KIVU on the other hand. Illebo is connected by rail to Kananga and Lubumbashi
The port of Ilebo has a rated capacity of 2.000 T/day with three shifts. The quay is approximately 510 m long and is equipped with a frame container of 40 T, eight mobile cranes from 3 to 4 T and a fixed crane of 30 T.
North DRC
The Sangha River:
A river in central Africa is a tributary of the Congo River. It flows through Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.
Its tributaries include the Ngoko, Mambere, and the Kadei. Coffee is raised on plantations along the Sangha.
The Ubangi River:
(Also Oubangi) is a major tributary of the Congo River in central Africa. It is considered to begin at the junction of the Mbomou and Uele Rivers, flows west for about 350 km, then bends to the southwest, passes through Bangui, then flows south for another 500 km to the Congo. From its start to 100 km below Bangui, the Ubangi defines the boundary between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thereafter, it forms the boundary between the DRC and the Republic of Congo until it empties into the Congo River.
The Uele River:
A River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a tributary of the Ubangi River, which in turn flows into the Congo
The Mbomou River:
Forms part of the boundary between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Mbomou merges with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River. The Ubangi, a tributary of the Congo, also serves as part of the border between the CAR and the DRC.
The Lulonga:
The lulonga is a river in the Equateur province. It is about 200 km long from its beginning at the town of Basankusu. There the Lopori and the Maringa join to form the Lulonga. The Lulonga River flows into the Congo River at the town Lulonga.
Central DRC
The Kasai River:
The Kasai River is a river in central Africa. The river begins in Angola. Part of the river serves as the border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It then flows into the DRC, where it empties into the Congo River.
The Kasai's tributaries include the Fimi, Kwango, and Sankuru rivers. The short stretch of the Kasai from the inflow of the Fimi to the Congo is known as the Kwa River.
The Fimi River:
The Fimi River flows from Lake Mai-Ndombe to the Kasai River, which in turn empties into the Congo.
South DRC
The Luapula River
The Luapula River is a river that flows from Lake Bangweulu in Zambia to Lake Mweru on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). For much of its course it serves as part of the boundary between Zambia and the DRC.
The Chambeshi River flows into the Luapula in the vicinity of Lake Bangweulu.
The Luvua River:
The Luvua River is a river that flows from Lake Mweru to the Lualaba River, which eventually becomes the Congo.
The Lomami River:
The Lomami River is a major tributary of the Congo River. The river is approximately 1,500 km long. It flows north, west of and parallel to the upper Congo.
The Lomami rises in the south of the country, near Kamina, and flows north through Lubao, Tshofa, Kombe, Bolaiti, Opala and Irema before joining the Congo at Isengi.
East of the DRC
The Aruwimi River:
The Aruwimi River is a tributary of the Congo River, located to the north and east of the Congo.
The Aruwimi begins as the Ituri River, which rises on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains that overlook Lake Albert. It then runs generally west, passing by Bunia, through the Ituri Forest, becoming the Aruwimi where the Nepoko (or Nepoki) River joins it, at the town of Bomili. The river continues westward, joining the Congo at Basoko, for a total length of about 1,300 km (800 mi). It is about 1.5 km wide where it joins the Congo.
The watershed of the Ituri/Aruwimi is almost entirely dense forest, with just a handful of villages along its course, and crossed by roads in about four places. The cataracts above Yambuya make it impossible to use the river for navigation.
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is one of the largest lakes in central Africa 3° 20' to 8° 48' south and from 29° 5' to 31° 15' east). It is estimated to be the second oldest (and second deepest) lake in the world after Lake Baikal in Siberia.
The lake is situated within the Western Rift of the Great Rift Valley and is confined by the mountainous walls of the valley. It is the largest rift lake in Africa and the second largest lake by surface area on the continent. It is the deepest lake in Africa and holds the greatest volume of fresh water. The catchments area of the lake covers 231,000 km², with two main rivers flowing into the lake, numerous smaller rivers and streams and one major outflow, the Lukuga, which empties into the Congo River drainage. The major inflows are Ruzizi River, entering the north of the lake from Lake Kivu, and the Malagarasi River, which is Tanzania's second largest river entering in the east side of Lake Tanganyika. The Malagarasi pre-dates Lake Tanganyika and was formerly continuous with the Congo River.
The lake is divided between the four countries Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia, with the DRC (45%) and Tanzania (41%) possessing the majority of the lake.
Lake ALBERT
Also Albert Nyanza and formerly Lake Mobutu Sese Seko - is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. It is Africa's seventh largest lake.
Lake Albert is located in the centre of the continent, on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lake Albert is the northernmost of the chain of lakes in the Great Rift Valley; it is about 160 km (100 mi) long and 30 km (19 mi) wide, with a maximum depth of 51 m (168 ft), and a surface elevation of 619 m (2,030 ft) above sea level.
Lake Albert is part of the complicated system of the upper Nile. Its main sources are the Victoria Nile, ultimately coming from Lake Victoria to the southeast, and the Semliki River, which issues from Lake Edward to the southwest. Its outlet, at the northernmost tip of the lake, is the Albert Nile, which becomes known as the Mountain Nile when it enters Sudan.
Lake EDWARD
One of the Great Lakes of Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, its northern banks a few kilometers south of the Equator. Lake Edward is fed by the Nyamugasani, the Ishasha, the Rutshuru, and the Rwindi rivers.
It empties to the north via the Semliki River into Lake Albert. It is also connected, by means of the Kazinga Channel, to Lake George to the northeast. It stands at an elevation of 920 meters, is 77 km long by 40 km wide at its maximum points, and covers a total surface area of 2150 km².
Lake MWERU
A lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. It is approximately 96 km long and 45 km wide, with its long end oriented northeast/southwest, and lies at an elevation of 917 m. It is mainly fed by the Luapula River, and to the north the lake is drained by the Luvua River, which leads to the Lualaba River and thence to the Congo. The lake has the Kilwa Island at its southern end. The lake has long been isolated, but a tarred road was built to the lakeside village Nchelenge in 1987, and the population around the lake has grown, much of it exploiting the rich fishery of the lake.
Lake KIVU
One of the Great Lakes of Africa. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. A large island lies in the lake, while settlements on its shore include Bukavu, Kabare, Kalehe, Saké and Goma in Congo and Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu in Rwanda.