The Congo–Oubangui–Sangha navigation programme supports safer and more efficient inland-waterway transport in the Congo Basin. CICOS implements regulatory, navigation-safety, information, training and waterway-management activities across participating states. The initiative should be treated as a regional programme with multiple components rather than one physical asset.
<p>The project aims to identify all the obstacles to navigate the Congo River, and the Oubangui and Sangha tributaries as well as the port infrastructure needs in order to improve the conditions and the capacity of safe river transport.</p>
<p>The Congo River is navigable for a distance of about 1700 km between Kinshasa and Kisangani. The Oubangui is navigable to Bangui from Liranga, which is 600 km from Brazzaville and the Sangha is navigable for a distance of roughly 710 km between Nola and the confluence with the Congo River.</p>
<p>The project proposes sustainable solutions for the rehabilitation, development and operation of the river transport network. At the end of the feasibility study phase, the following developments are proposed for navigation and ports:</p>
<ul>
<li>Navigation: Improvement of the markup, the dredging of the main and secondary channel of the Congo River as well as the management of the difficult passes identified on Oubangui and Sangha.</li>
<li>Ports: Dredging in front of wharves, salvaging wrecks, rehabilitating quay walls and quays, acquiring and repairing port operating equipment, rehabilitating buildings, warehouses and roads as well as the layout of certain existing berthing areas, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>In addition, the project proposes skills development of the personnel of the institutions in charge of river transport of the three countries in the fields related to the code of inland navigation, the safety and security of navigation and port operations.</p>
<p>The project is helping to improve transport and open up the regions of the Congo Basin. </p>
<p>River transport by the Congo River and Oubangui is indeed an alternative supply and disposal of heavy products to / from the Central African Republic after the Douala-Bangui corridor. Combined with road or rail transport on the Pointe-Noire-Brazzaville axis and road transport on the Bangui-Ndjamena road, river transport also makes it possible to offer a second alternative supply to Chad in the Douala-N'Djamena Corridor corridor. .</p>