Djibouti to assist Malawi in port construction

  1. Posted on Thursday 16 April 2009 - 11:31
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Jnr, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
    Djibouti has promised to assist Malawi by investing more money towards the completion of its first ever in-land port. Malawi is set to build a port in Nsanje which among others is expected to cut transportation costs. The port according to Malawi's president would be ready for vessels by the end of this year.
    malawean_president
    Djibouti made the promise to Malawi through its president Ismail Guelleh who visited the country over the weekend. Guelleh pledged that his country will invest heavily for the construction of the inland port.

    Contractors are said to have estimated the cost of the Nsanje port at $ 15 million about 3.3 billion Malawi Kwacha.

    The Djibouti president said his three day visit to Malawi centered on several discussions with top of it being the port.

    Djibouti is said to have one of the best managed sea ports in the world with a capacity of six to eight million tonnes per year.

    The Port of Djibouti is located at the crossroads of one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, linking Europe the Far East, the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf.

    He said Malawi could benefit from the experiences of his country though there were minor differences since in Djibouti they constructed a sea port while Malawi was having a river port.

    Guelleh was quoted as saying that it was against this background that part of his delegation included engineers with experience on port building.

    “These experts came to assess the practicability of the port in Nsanje and it has proved to be positive. We are therefore ready to assist this country complete the work on the port,” said the Djibouti president.

    According to the two leaders, they also discussed the potential Malawi has in terms of agriculture which can be put in good use with proper investment.

    Malawi’s president Mutharika said the port once completed would boost the country’s economy. The southern African country currently relies on agriculture for its economy.

    Guelleh said investors in Djibouti would be coming to assess possibilities to invest in agro-industries to boost food production in Malawi.

    “We can set an example of how two small developing countries can have bilateral relationship that is mutually advantageous,” President Mutharika said.

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