Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to accelerate strategic infrastructure projects linking the two countries, including a Standard Gauge Railway connection through Burundi and a fibre-optic cable across Lake Tanganyika.

The commitment was reaffirmed during a farewell meeting in Dar es Salaam between Tanzania's Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, and DRC Ambassador Jean Pierre Massala, who has completed his tour of duty in Tanzania. The countries identified transport, mining, oil and gas, defence, security, trade and investment as priority areas for deeper cooperation.

The railway proposal is intended to connect Tanzania with the DRC through Burundi, strengthening a transport corridor that could improve regional trade flows between the Indian Ocean coast and Central Africa. A separate digital infrastructure project would run a national fibre-optic cable from Kigoma in Tanzania to Kalemie in DRC's Tanganyika Province through Lake Tanganyika.

The two governments also agreed to fast-track establishment of a Joint Economic Commission, which is expected to provide a formal structure for implementing joint projects and creating new economic opportunities. For Tanzanian logistics, rail and telecom stakeholders, the announcements point to continued policy focus on cross-border infrastructure as a trade-enabling platform rather than a single-project agenda.

The commercial significance is in the combination of transport and data connectivity. A functioning SGR link would support cargo movement toward inland markets, while a Lake Tanganyika fibre connection would add digital capacity along a corridor where infrastructure gaps have constrained business integration.