Following a 738-million-U.S.-dollar financial agreement signed in May 2023, Ethiopia and South Sudan are set to build a 220-km cross-border road.
On Tuesday, South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly ratified the Ethiopia-South Sudan financial agreement to construct the highway, as reported by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Thursday.
The ministry stated that the project aims to enhance connectivity and bolster economic ties between the two neighboring countries, highlighting the growing cooperation and mutually beneficial relationship between Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Per the financial agreement, Ethiopia will cover the cost of the road project. The deal designates South Sudan as the borrower and Ethiopia as the financier, with repayment involving crude oil from South Sudan to Ethiopia.
Construction of the road project will commence upon the final authorization by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
Connecting Paloich, Maiwut, and Pagak on the South Sudanese side, the road will link these areas to Ethiopia’s border regions.
