By Editor in Chief
on Tue Feb 04 2025
On January 30, a ceremony was held to commemorate the maiden voyage of a new ferry supported by grant aid to the Republic of Djibouti, at the ports of Djibouti City, the capital of Djibouti, and Tajura City in the northern region. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Abdulkader Kamil Mohammed, Minister of Infrastructure Hassan Humed Ibrahim, and many other ministers from the Djibouti side, and by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Keiichi Hara of Japan in Djibouti, Masayuki Kaneda, Director of JICA Djibouti Office, and others from the Japanese side, celebrating the maiden voyage of the new ferry.
Ceremony
JICA has been supporting the development of a new large ferry that is navigable even during the hamsin (sandstorm) season, when strong monsoon winds blow, and can accommodate large vehicles with high vehicle height. JICA also provided a ferry as a grant aid in 2009, which contributed to a significant increase in the number of passengers by reducing the travel time between Djibouti and Tajura from more than three hours to one and a half hours. However, the ferry had to be suspended during the hamsin (sandstorm) season, when strong seasonal winds with average speeds of 5 to 10 m/s blow, for safety reasons.
The new ferry will contribute to the realization of strengthening the domestic transportation network to promote development in rural areas and correct disparities, as it will enable the project to respond to the increased demand for ferry use and improve operational capacity through the development of ferry and port facilities. In addition, this project will contribute to SDG Goal 9 (to establish a foundation for industrial and technological innovation), as the project is expected to promote development in the northern region and improve the lives of its citizens.
At the ceremony, Prime Minister Abdulkader and Ambassador Hara cut the ribbon. Prime Minister Abdulkader expressed his strong desire for the development of the northern region, and described the sailing of this ferry as an achievement of bilateral cooperation. On behalf of the Japanese government, Ambassador Hara also emphasized that the ferry provided under this project will be a new symbol of the ties between Djibouti and Japan.
© Source JICA