Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (right), Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh (left) and businessman Aliko Dangote (centre) attend a foundation stone ceremony in Damerjog, Djibouti, on September 24, 2026, for a refined petroleum products pipeline linking Djibouti and Ethiopia.
DJIBOUTI, Sept. 24 (Horndiplomat) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh joined businessman Aliko Dangote on Thursday to lay the foundation stone for a refined petroleum products pipeline connecting Damerjog in Djibouti with Dewele in Ethiopia.
The project will include storage terminals at both ends and will be developed through a partnership between Ethiopian Investment Holdings and the Dangote Group, Abiy said in a post on X.
“This landmark infrastructure will reduce logistics costs and delays, strengthen energy security, and enhance the efficiency and resilience of the Ethiopia–Djibouti corridor,” Abiy wrote. He described the project as an investment in future growth and regional integration, with African investment at its centre.
Guelleh said in a separate post that Djibouti was “consolidating its role as a regional energy platform.” According to the English translation displayed with his French-language post, he said the project would strengthen connections with Ethiopia and make Damerjog a new link in the regional corridor.
The two leaders and Dangote attended the foundation stone ceremony in Damerjog, marking a step toward building the pipeline and its associated storage facilities. Ethiopia relies heavily on the Djibouti corridor for access to international trade, making fuel transport along the route an economic priority.
Neither leader announced the pipeline’s cost, capacity or expected completion date.
