The brittle relationship between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government and World Bank on funding for the Inga 3 hydro-electric scheme seems to have snapped...

The government has reportedly also fired the Australian domiciled global infrastructure consultancy SMEC, appointed in September 2015 to conduct an environmental social impact assessment for the project, saying their working relationship had broken down... Another company will have to be appointed to conduct the impact assessment, which could lead to a delay of up to 12 months.  The Congo government has hinted that China is ready to partner it in the dam project. But the Chinese government is unlikely to allow its construction companies to do work without a valid impact assessment.

Journalists attending a workshop last month at Inga were taken on an aerial tour of the Bunga Valley, which will be inundated by the backed-up waters when Inga 3 is completed, to show them that the area was devoid of inhabitants.  However, journalists later toured the area on foot and found "probably thousands of people" living in the valley.