Browsing: Djibouti

• The EU is supporting efforts in the Horn of Africa that will boost regional economic integration and trade. 
• Djibouti’s major trading partner countries include Ethiopia and troubled Somalia.
• Trade Mark Africa is helping implement a single window system which is already in use across EAC.

The EU has expressed its support for Djibouti’s plan to enhance connectivity within the Horn of Africa, a move that will promote trade with Ethiopia, one of the region’s biggest trade partners.

This collaboration is in sync with the African Alliance for e-commerce, a consortium comprising 18 member countries, dedicated to advancing the Single Window concept. This alignment adheres to the recommendations set forth by international institutions.

A pivotal project within the Alliance is the establishment of a Regional Single Window, designed to seamlessly interconnect all national platforms. The overarching goal is to streamline trade processes, bolstering the competitiveness of African nations on the global …

Djibouti is set to receive a $120 million loan from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in a deal targeting projects that will accelerate the country’s economic growth. 

The financing, which will go to Djibouti’s Great Horn Investment Holding (GHIH) to execute projects in the country’s Damerjog Industrial Development Free Trade Zone,  is part of a total facility amount of $155 million. The remaining $35 million will be financed through Banque pour le Commerce et l’Industrie Mer Rouge of Djibouti. …

• The Horn of Africa has been grappling with the most severe drought in 40 years since late 2020.
• Rain-fed agriculture in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia worst hit as harvests drop to 70 percent of normal standards.
• A United Nations-backed conference raised $2.4 billion on May 24th to address famine in the Horn of Africa.

The worst drought in a-half-century is causing severe economic hit on economies in the Horn of Africa. This is due to the economies’ heavy reliance on agriculture, and other climate-vulnerable resources.

Drought has led to reduced rainfall and water, severely reducing agricultural production. Crops failed, and pasturelands dried up. As a result, millions of heads of livestock died due to a lack of water and fodder. Millions of farmers are experiencing significant crop losses and decreased livestock productivity. Consequently, huge populations are grappling with thinning incomes and food shortages.

Agricultural losses, food insecurity

Rain-fed …

South Sudan and Djibouti have signed an MoU to lay fibre optic cable from Djibouti to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, via Ethiopia. Djibouti’s fibre optic is not the first telecommunications infrastructure that South Sudan is connecting to. In January 2020, Liquid Intelligent Technologies (LIT) announced the installation of a 200km fibre backbone to connect the Uganda border to Juba.

Authorities believe additional data capacity will enable the country to successfully implement its digital transformation strategy by making broadband internet connectivity more affordable. South Sudanese officials said the agreement would ensure that region is connected to the international community and reduce the high cost of the internet.

South Sudan’s Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services said South Sudanese and Djibouti government officials would establish a technical committee to oversee the project.…

The battle for political and economic influence between the U.S. and China is playing out across Africa, and Beijing’s growing presence is troubling Western policymakers, experts say.

Africa has become the fastest urbanizing region on the planet, and China has placed itself at the infrastructural vanguard of the new frontier. Africa boasted seven of the 20 fastest growing economies in the world in 2017, according to the IMF (International Monetary Fund).

China is building and developing a naval army base in the west side of Djibouti City adored with razor wire-topped walls with in-built helipads, a dock large enough to fit aircraft carriers, and 2,000 troops alongside armored vehicles and gunboats.

This Naval military base was Opened in 2017, and it’s China’s first overseas military base but could soon be one of many located across Africa if those sounding the alarm in Washington are correct.

The Department of Defense in …

Africa has some of the most expensive mobile data services in Africa. With the increase in connectivity via smartphones, people in emerging markets can use their portable devices for more things each passing day. Most of us have a smartphone with mobile data that we can carry anywhere and as soon as we step home we switch to our Wi-Fi not to overuse our mobile data; which is most of the time unfairly overcharged.

However some people do not have the privilege to afford both mobile data and internet at home, so they opt for the more expensive but more portable mobile data. Everyday, people in emerging African countries are forced to take this decision and are sometimes charged the most expensive prices in the world for mobile data. What is important to know also is the dependency and impact of smartphones in lower income communities.

With a difficulty in …

Envoys representing member states voted in a secret ballot giving Kenya the nod to contest at the UN polls next year in June…