Egypt is set to to develop joint projects with African countries including a land road between Cairo and Cape Town.
Egypt’s Minister of Transport Hisham Arafat confirmed the reports during a Parliamentary session and said that the project one of the ministry’s bids to restore the river transport system, after it was harmed by oil subsidies.
Cairo-Cape Town Road
The Cape to Cairo Road project was a proposal since 1890s. The road will be 10300 km long, starting from Alexandria Port on the Mediterranean Sea then Cairo, Sudan, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and finally South Africa.
A section of the road running from Egypt to the borders with Sudan, has already been accomplished and is ready for operation. Moreover international finance institutions are willing to bankroll road connection projects in Africa.
Egypt, assuming the chairmanship of the African Union in 2019, is leading efforts to develop Africa and has the potentials to do so, the most important of which is water, the minister noted.
Additionally, Minister Arafat pointed out that a river connection project between Alexandria and Lake Victoria should will make the country to become a gate or river transport to Central Africa through the Nile River. He added to the parliamentary committee that international finance institutions are willing to bankroll road connection projects in Africa. The project should cost about US $18bn.
Source: constructionreviewonline.com
