Trade and development experts have detailed the key role the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) can play in providing mineral resources for industrial and manufacturing value chains, supporting agricultural and agroprocessing value chains and serving as an epicentre for intra-African trade to drive development on the continent. During a webinar hosted by news and information company Mining Review Africa on March 2, Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) institutional support project coordinator for the African Union in Uganda Frank Mugyenyi, export support organisation Southern African Capital Equipment Export Council (Saceec) CEO Eric Bruggeman and trade corridor organisation Walvis Bay Corridor Group CEO Mbahupu Tjivikua highlighted the importance of the DRC not only in linking regional economic blocs and trade corridors, but also in global industrial and manufacturing value chains, as well as how it can support industrialisation and development.