Africa’s Ports Race Creates Pathways for Plunder
Ports have long been integral to Africa’s connectivity with the rest of the world. Yet over the last 15 years, a new stage in maritime infrastructure planning and development has begun. Between 2004 and 2019, over US$50 billion was spent on this infrastructure – roughly 13 times more than was spent between 1990 and 2004.Ports reflect more than simple economic imperatives. They are crucial in creating and reinforcing social, political, and cultural systems. Infrastructure can be…
Djibouti Says Its Container Port to Remain in State Hands
Djibouti's container port will remain in state hands as the government seeks investment, a senior official said on Wednesday in comments likely to reassure Washington where lawmakers say they fear it could be ceded to China. The Doraleh Container Terminal is a key asset for Djibouti, a tiny state on the Red Sea whose location is of strategic value to countries such as the United States, China, Japan and former colonial power France, all of whom have military bases there. Djibouti last month terminated the concession of Dubai's state-owned DP World to run the port…
Djibouti Ends Dubai's DP World Contract to Run Container Terminal
Djibouti has ended a contract with Dubai's DP World, one of the world's biggest port operators, to run its Doraleh Container Terminal, the president's office said on Thursday. "The Republic of Djibouti has decided to proceed with the unilateral termination with immediate effect of the concession contract awarded to DP World," the office of President Ismail Omar Guelleh said in a statement. Last February, the London Court of International Arbitration cleared DP World of all charges of misconduct over a concession to operate the terminal, Dubai's government said at the time.
Counter-Piracy Operations Center, Djibouti, Opens
His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti, attended the opening of the new Djiboutian Naval Operations Centre. Djiboutian military and civilian authorities were present, along with representatives from the USA and France, who provided support to Djibouti for the building and fitting of the operations centre. The centre provides the Djiboutian maritime forces with an enhanced capability to track ship movements in their territorial waters. EU NAVFOR…
