South Sudan and Djibouti on Monday, during the South Sudan Oil & Power 2022 conference and exhibition, signed a cooperation agreement to enhance cooperation across the energy sector.
The cooperation agreement was signed by Djibouti’s minister of energy and natural resources, Yonis Ali Guedi, and South Sudan’s petroleum minister, Puot Kang Chol.
Under the terms of the cooperation agreement, the two countries have agreed to expand trade, investment, and cross-border energy opportunities, leveraging regional collaboration to expand both the energy sectors in Djibouti and South Sudan.
Djibouti’s Guedi said his country was now open to investment from the region.
“Djibouti is now open with the markets of East Africa. We are waiting for all investors to come to Djibouti,” he said. “We have facilitated all processes to create the free zone in Djibouti and now, we have signed the MoU and will work together.”
For his part, Kang said the cooperation agreement is in the area of oil and gas and that it will open trade avenues for South Sudan.
“As a landlocked country, without access to the rest of the world, we will not be able to export. Now, with the MoU, we have three routes through Sudan, Kenya, and now Ethiopia, through Djibouti,” he said.
Minister Kang emphasized that the agreement has paved the way for South Sudanese companies and stakeholders to seize opportunities across the entire region, with Djibouti representing the first step.
“Now that we have signed this MoU, you have the opportunity to go to Djibouti and explore the opportunities that are there, as they will do the same here,” he said. “You have the opportunity to operate elsewhere. We will be working closely with the country and encourage you to go there, identify opportunities and we will support you.”