Djibouti begins $600m rail to link Ethiopia, South Sudan –offiicial The Djibouti Government on Thursday said that its newly established 600 million dollars rail project now under construction would facilitate business activities and improve revenue for countries in the East African region. The government said the new rail line which would link the country with Ethiopia through Dire Dawa region to Addis Ababa and the Republic of South Sudan. The two East African Countries had earlier established a Joint Djibouti-Ethiopia Coordination Commission for the railway project. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rail project is being undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) at the cost of 600 million dollars and financed by the China EXIM Bank. Djibouti’s Transport Minister, Moussa Ahmed, had on Tuesday inaugurated a committee to supervise the project expected to be completed within two years. Ahmed, who is attending the Joint Rail Commission meeting in Addis Ababa told NAN on Thursday that the railway line “will facilitate access to different markets in the region and will also link Djibouti to South Sudan through Ethiopia.’’ Meanwhile Ethiopia’s Transport Minister, Workneh Gebeyehu said that the new railway line would change the socio-economic conditions of the two countries as well as generate jobs for youths. Gebeyehu appealed to the project handlers and the government of Djibouti to ensure its completion within the time frame for the speedy realisation of its economic benefits to the countries. NAN further reports that Ethiopia which is landlocked needs the project to facilitate the transportation of its goods to and from the Djibouti port. The Ethiopian Government is also undertaking a similar project handled by the Chinese company linking Addis Ababa with Djibouti. The Ethiopian project is also expected to be completed within the next two years, the Ethiopian transport minister said.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 21:46:16 +0000
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