Ethiopia and South Sudan have agreed to construct a 220-km cross-border road, based on a $738-million financial agreement that both countries signed in May 2023. The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed this development, announcing that South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly had ratified the agreement. Through the road, the East African neighbors aim to boost connectivity and economic ties between both countries. Under the terms of the financial agreement, Ethiopia will finance the project, with South Sudan repaying through crude oil supplies. The road will connect Paloich, Maiwut, and Pagak in South Sudan to Ethiopia’s border areas. The project now awaits the final authorization of South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir after which it will commence in earnest.
SOURCE: THE EAST AFRICAN