DESSU Corridor Authority Officially Launched in Djibouti

A high-level Ethiopian delegation led by the Minister of Transport and Logistics arrived yesterday in Djibouti for the official launch of the Djibouti-Ethiopia-South Sudan-Uganda (DESSU) Corridor Management Authority, a regional initiative aimed at boosting trade, infrastructure, and economic integration in the Great Horn of Africa.

The four countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing the authority on February 27, 2025. DESSU will support coordination among institutions, address trade bottlenecks, and improve the movement of goods initially along the Djibouti–Addis Ababa corridor. Once the missing links connecting such corridor to South Sudan and Uganda will be completed, these two countries will fully join the initiative. Ultimately, the corridor will link four key hubs: Djibouti, Addis Ababa, Juba, and Kampala, enhancing regional connectivity, fostering cooperation, and stimulating economic growth.

The agreement establishes Joint Steering and Technical Committees tasked with overseeing the implementation and operation of the corridor, ensuring effective coordination among the four participating countries, with the relevant institutional framework which is under development, guided by the technical coordination of Trademark Africa. In addition, a Transport Observatory will be established, similar to those overseeing the Northern and Central corridors, to collect and analyze real-time trade and transport data. This will enable the authority to monitor performance, identify inefficiencies, and provide evidence-based policy recommendations to national authorities to improve cargo fluidity along the route.

A significant component of the DESSU initiative is the enhancement of maritime cabotage for African-flagged vessels. Cabotage refers to the transportation of goods and passengers between ports within the same country or region by vessels registered in that country or region. The DESSU agreement aims at strengthening regional maritime trade and reducing reliance on foreign shipping services. This initiative is supported by the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA), which advocates for the development of national and regional maritime cabotage policies to promote the use of African-owned and operated vessels in domestic and regional trade.