Tshisekedi names Paluku to AUDA-NEPAD role to boost Congo’s regional push

By AI, Created 5:26 PM UTC, May 26, 2026, /AGP/ – President Félix Tshisekedi has appointed Minister of External Trade Julien Paluku Kahongya as his personal representative to AUDA-NEPAD for 2026-2028. The move is meant to strengthen Congo’s role in African integration, regional development and U.S.-Africa economic cooperation, especially around critical minerals and infrastructure.

Why it matters: - The appointment gives the Democratic Republic of Congo a higher-profile role inside an African Union development body that helps shape regional projects and integration. - It also puts Congo in position to push cooperation with the United States on critical minerals, infrastructure and supply chains. - The move could help bolster Congo’s case as a strategic economic gateway in Central Africa.

What happened: - President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo named Minister of External Trade Julien Paluku Kahongya as his Personal Representative to the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD. - The mandate covers the 2026-2028 period. - Paluku will continue serving as Minister of External Trade while taking on the AUDA-NEPAD role.

The details: - Paluku will sit on AUDA-NEPAD’s steering committee. - His work will focus on regional integration projects tied to intra-African trade, infrastructure connectivity, industrial transformation and coordinated economic development. - The Congolese government says the appointment aligns with African Union Agenda 2063 and Congo’s push to deepen continental cooperation. - Paluku immediately began consultations with his technical teams after the announcement to set an implementation roadmap and measurable performance goals. - Paluku said the mission will advance development, attract strategic investment, strengthen Congo’s role within African institutions and deepen mutually beneficial partnerships with the international community.

Between the lines: - Congo is using the AUDA-NEPAD post to extend its economic diplomacy beyond domestic trade policy and into continental institution-building. - The emphasis on critical minerals reflects Congo’s growing leverage in global technology and clean-energy supply chains. - The release frames African development as a U.S. interest, signaling an effort to tie Congo’s regional agenda to broader U.S.-Africa economic and security priorities. - AUDA-NEPAD is the African Union’s technical body for regional development priorities and flagship projects under Agenda 2063. - The agency’s portfolio includes infrastructure development, industrialization, trade integration, food security and sustainable economic transformation.

What’s next: - Paluku is expected to help advance AUDA-NEPAD initiatives tied to trade, infrastructure and industrial growth. - Congo will seek to use the role to attract investment, strengthen partnerships and expand its influence inside African Union institutions. - The government says it will keep working with African and international partners to accelerate inclusive development and continental integration.

The bottom line: - Tshisekedi’s appointment of Paluku is both a diplomatic promotion and a strategic bet that Congo can turn AUDA-NEPAD into a platform for regional influence and deeper U.S.-Africa economic ties.