The drums of war have in the recent past thrust Goma, the capital of the North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, into the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
Although this is a region that has a vibrant economic tempo, it has been rocked by armed conflict, with the most recent development being the entry into the city of M23 forces who ousted the military from the region.
When the pulsating sounds of cultural and economic drums replace the roar of gunfire, Goma, a port city, comes alive as a thriving border town that is not only known for its trade in agricultural commodities but also for its mining activities as well as fisheries.
Whereas trade in agricultural produce is localised and rarely goes beyond the borders of Rwanda next door, trade in its minerals is what keeps many a modern factory in the western world roaring.
This is because Goma is rich in deposits of Coltan, a mineral that is critical in the manufacture of mobile phones, laptops, jet engines, medical equipment and a wide variety of electronic gadgets, including batteries. Despite its wealth in natural resources, there is one commodity that Goma needs constantly but is not within its reach: Fuel.
To fill this gap, Tanzanian companies have invested heavily in logistics that ensure that the landlocked Goma never runs out of this commodity that is vital for its mines and other industries. The firms also supply diesel for use by civilian trucks that transport goods within DRC and also for consumption by the military, which is involved in a campaign to secure DRC’s borders, especially in the regions neighbouring Rwanda, from where rebels launch attacks.
Operating from Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Afroil has built a tank farm not too far from the Dar port, where it stores refined oil products for sale in Tanzania but also in the DRC, with a focus on Goma.
“The tanks at the farm have the capacity to hold up to 40 million litres of fuel,” Mr Tumaini Makapoja, the Afroil Tanks Farm and Petrol Station terminal manager, told The Nairobi Law Monthly in a recent interview. This would not have been possible without its partnership with…
This article was first published in the March 2025 issue of Nairobi Law Monthly. Visit epaper.nairobilawmonthly.com to get your copy and read the full story.
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