Relationship dossier
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Zambia
Relationship assessment
Economic cooperation, including a joint battery-value-chain initiative, alongside cross-border trade frictions.
Democratic Republic of the Congo toward Zambia
+30The Democratic Republic of the Congo has joined Zambia in pursuing a regional electric-battery and clean-energy value chain, providing a concrete basis for bilateral economic cooperation.
Zambia toward Democratic Republic of the Congo
+30Zambia has joined the Democratic Republic of the Congo in pursuing a regional electric-battery and clean-energy value chain, providing a concrete basis for bilateral economic cooperation.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship combines cross-border economic interdependence with government-backed plans for cooperation on batteries and clean energy. Border and transport issues can complicate trade, but the available facts do not indicate that these outweigh the cooperative economic initiatives.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia have pursued concrete economic cooperation, notably an agreement to develop a regional electric-battery and clean-energy value chain. Their cross-border trade is also affected by practical border and transport issues. The available facts support a cooperative relationship with some friction, though the scope and implementation of joint initiatives are unclear.
Areas of tension
- Trade and transport frictions at the shared border.
Key developments
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia agreed to cooperate on developing a regional electric-battery and clean-energy value chain.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the bilateral battery and clean-energy cooperation are unclear.
- The frequency and significance of trade and border-related disputes are uncertain.