Sudan opens port to Ethiopia

Sudan has opened its seaport to Ethiopia for transporting goods and oil into the landlocked country. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi flew into Sudan on Tuesday to inaugurate the opening of the port facilities and a duty free zone. The move is a significant breakthrough for Ethiopia which had been relying on Eritrea’s Red Sea ports until their border war broke out in May 1998. Ethiopia then turned to Djibouti, but merchants complained about the price hikes on shipping freight through Djibouti. Prime Minister Meles praised the bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and Sudan adding that the two countries had created a "conducive atmosphere" for improving economic relations. During his visit to Khartoum and Port Sudan on the Red Sea he was accompanied by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The two countries signed agreements for Ethiopia's use of the port, and a new road is planned through the eastern Sudanese town of Gedaref. Mehreteab Zegeye, the general manager of the Ethiopian import-export company Mer International Trading, said business would only increase as a result. "This will be of mutual benefit to both countries," he said. "Being a free port means it is almost like an Ethiopian port." Abdouhman Elmi of the Djibouti Port Authority said the move would not affect the multi-million trade between Ethiopia and Djibouti. "Using Sudan is like using South Africa," he told IRIN. "It is very far from Ethiopia. The best port for Ethiopia is Djibouti." Last year almost four million tons of goods were shipped through Djibouti to Ethiopia. "It is simply a dream," Elmi added. "All the import and export freight of Ethiopia goes through Djibouti and I don’t think that is going to change...What may happen is that some fuel or oil will come from Sudan but it will make up a small percentage of the business." During his stay, Meles became the first ever Ethiopian leader to visit the Sudanese historical sites of Nagaq, Musawarat and Bejrawia. The Sudanese and Ethiopian leaders on Thursday joined five other heads of state at the two-day summit of the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).