On Monday 19th September, a large delegation from the Republic of South Sudan was welcomed by our Ministry of Communication, in charge of Posts and Telecommunications and the Director General of Djibouti Telecom for an official visit. His Excellency Gen. Taban Deng the Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan was accompanied by his Ministers of MICT and TPS, Roads and Transport.
During this visit, South Sudan and Djibouti unveiled the signing of a fibre optic interconnection memorandum of understanding. The high-speed telecom infrastructure will leave from Djibouti, cross Ethiopia to Juba. For South Sudan, this interconnection will connect the national capital to the rest of the world, as well as reduce the high cost of Internet access. This memorandum of understanding will be followed by the formation of a technical team from the two countries to carry out this project which is of strategic importance for South Sudan.
Like the majority of African countries, South Sudan also has an ambition for digital transformation. The additional data capacities that the country wants to acquire will allow it to realise this vision for the majority of the population. Without affordable and quality Internet service for the entire population, the digital economy will be distorted. The South Sudanese government, which is well aware of this, has been working since 2020 to consolidate its data capacities.
With 8 operational and 5-on project submarine networks, Djibouti Telecom is massively investing in creating a digital platform for the region. Our goal is to serve the wider East African region with unparalleled connections and fibre networks.