In the lush southwest corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a massive dam project on one of Africa’s largest rivers has created a twisted tale of political maneuvering and heated debates on the tradeoffs of economic development that has tripped up foreign aid leaders in Washington as they decide whether to support a project that is hailed as a solution to Africa’s “energy poverty.”
World Bank President Jim Kim says the project, known as the Inga 3 base chute, the next step in what would become the largest hydropower complex in history, is exactly the type of “bold” initiative a revamped and reenergized World Bank ought to support, and he is vying for U.S. support.
The debate about whether the U.S. government — the world’s largest bilateral aid donor — should support the project has mostly been waged behind closed doors. But as Kim, who was nominated for his current job by President Barack Obama, tries to negotiate U.S. support for the controversial project, he has set off fierce debates and met strong resistance from the halls of Congress.