Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti Talk Infrastructure, Integration

DDIS ABABA — Ethiopian Finance Minister Sufian Ahmed inked a Memorandum of Understanding last week with his Djibouti counterpart Elias Dawaleh Mussa and South Sudan’s Minister of Petroleum and Mines, Stephen Dhieu Dau, in the Ethiopian capital.

The tripartite agreement will promote greater regional integration and infrastructure projects between the three east African countries. The deal includes the construction of oil pipelines, fibre optic connections and the extension of the Djibouti-Ethiopia to South Sudan railway system.

The construction of pipelines stretching for several thousand kilometres will be undertaken by Hong Kong based Chinese company, PetroTrans. It will run from South Sudan oilfields to the Port of Djibouti via Ethiopia’s Gambella region which itself is said to have vast oil deposits.

Mr. Mussa on his part said the inking of MoU demonstrated Djibouti’s pivotal space of great geo-strategic importance and the strengthening and deepening trilateral relations between the three countries. He reaffirmed Djibouti’s commitment in providing access to modern port facilities to both Juba and Addis Ababa.

South Sudan recently announced that it would halt its oil production accusing Khartoum of stealing its oil export. It said it would instead export via Djibouti.

Mr. Dau said the deal will help alleviate hunger and poverty in the region, in particular South Sudan.

Somalilandpress

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