Cairo: Egypt’s transport minister Kamel El-Wazir, said Egypt is working with Sudan to connect the Cairo-Cape Town railway route to the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
Speaking at a forum for heads of African investment agencies in Sharm El-Sheikh on Saturday, El-Wazir mentioned that Egypt has taken “huge steps” to boost connectivity in Africa by means of infrastructure.
He mentioned that the Egyptian government is constructing the Cairo-Cape Town railway line to connect Egypt with other African nations.
El-Wazir mentioned that the Ministry of Transport is executing 360-kilometer rail lines inside Egyptian territory, along with a six-kilometer line across Nasser Lake to Wadi Halfa in Sudan.
The government is executing another line to connect the monorail stretching from Matrouh governorate with a special link to El-Saloum city, he mentioned.
Egypt is also coordinating with the Libyan government to extend a railway line to the city of Benghazi, he mentioned.
Efforts exerted to develop land transport networks, railways, as well as sea and land ports have improved Egypt’s rank within the Road Quality Index featured within the Ease of Doing Business’ latest report, El-Wazir mentioned.
The report also underlined Egypt’s readiness to transfer its expertise in making smart roads to other African nations.
Dhieu Mathok Diing, South Sudanese minister of investment, mentioned that his government hopes that South Sudan will be connected to Egypt via a railway line in two to 3 years after the Egypt-Sudan link is completed.
Diing mentioned that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s announcement that he is committed to the African agenda for development, as well as Egypt’s launching of the Cairo-Cape City railway line and the Investment Promotion conference are decisions that demonstrate Egypt’s keenness to develop African nations.
He mentioned that South Sudan has “high hopes” for the Cairo-Cape City railway line, adding that the areas which will be included within the project inside South Sudan have been developed.
Diing mentioned: “Cooperation among Africa’s great economic powers like Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria with the rest of African nations makes us believe that we can achieve growth, development and African integration.”
