President Guelleh Calls for Africa Energy Self-reliance

Addis Ababa, September 24, 2026 (ENA) —Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh has called for greater Africa self-reliance in energy and infrastructure, saying the continent must reduce its dependence on exporting raw resources and importing refined products.

Djibouti and Ethiopia have announced today a major strategic infrastructure project to develop a refined petroleum products pipeline linking Damerjog in Djibouti with Dewele in Ethiopia.

The project, backed by storage terminals at both ends, is being developed through a partnership between Ethiopian Investment Holdings and the Dangote Group. It is designed to strengthen energy security, reduce logistics costs and improve the efficiency of the Ethiopia-Djibouti corridor.

Speaking at the launching of the project, President Guelleh said Africa has significant energy resources but has for decades exported crude and imported fuel at prices largely determined elsewhere.

“That dependence is not a fate. It is a choice that one we can unmake,” he said, stressing that energy independence is a condition for broader economic independence.

The President stressed that the new project represents more than infrastructure, describing it as part of a wider Pan-African vision in which African energy is processed, transported and supplied through African facilities and pipelines to serve African markets.

The project will include a storage terminal with a capacity of more than 375,000 cubic meters and the ability to handle five million tons of petroleum products annually.

The pipeline will strengthen energy security, ease pressure on road corridors, reduce the carbon footprint and create opportunities for investment, jobs, skills and technology transfer, Guelleh noted.

He also emphasized the importance of African expertise, saying the young people who will operate and maintain the infrastructure must gain the necessary skills. “A pipeline we cannot maintain ourselves is not independence”.

According to Guelleh, the partnership between Djibouti and Ethiopia demonstrates how national strengths can support regional integration, linking Ethiopia’s industrial potential with Djibouti’s strategic port infrastructure.

The President further called for the African Continental Free Trade Area to be supported by physical infrastructure, including corridors, ports, pipelines and railways, to turn the continent’s single market into a practical reality.

The project reflects a shared vision for a more integrated, self-reliant and economically connected Africa, he said.

Guelleh also said Dangote’s investment demonstrates confidence in Djibouti and reflects a broader Pan-African vision in which African private-sector actors work together with governments to build competitive infrastructure.