Djibouti and Rwanda foreign ministers sign cooperation agreements
The Foreign Ministries of Djibouti and Rwanda signed three agreements to strengthen cooperation in diplomatic training, agriculture and tourism. On the agreements signed, both foreign ministers agreed on the need for them to be dynamic and bring results in transforming the lives of both peoples as soon as possible.
Original article link:https://www.plenglish.com/news/2023/05/11/djibouti-and-rwanda-foreign-ministers-sign-cooperation-agreements/
Djibouti becomes 10th member of Digital Cooperation Organization
Saudi initiative aims to promote social prosperity through more inclusive participation and growth across the digital economy
RIYADH: Djibouti has officially joined the membership of the Digital Cooperation Organization, a Saudi initiative that brings together nations, businesses, civil society groups, academics, and R & D institutions to promote social prosperity through more inclusive participation and growth across the digital economy.
Djibouti Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama signed the DCO’s founding charter in a ceremony organized at the embassy in Riyadh, and in the presence of the DCO’s secretary-general, Deemah Al-Yahya, and Omar Al-Nimr, director of governmental and international relations in the organization.
“I signed the foundation charter of the DCO for Djibouti to be a member of this new organization focusing on digital prosperity for all. Deemah Al Yahya, secretary-general of the DCO, was present during the signing at the Djibouti Embassy,” the ambassador tweeted on Wednesday.
With the signing of the charter, Djibouti becomes the 10th member country and the fourth in Africa to join the membership of the organization, which includes Saudi Arabia (the headquarters country), Jordan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Rwanda, Oman, Kuwait, Morocco and Nigeria.
HIGHLIGHT
Founded by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Pakistan, the Digital Cooperation Organization is driven by the vision of a digital future for all. It aims to empower women, youth and entrepreneurs, expanding the digital economy and advancing with innovation.
Morocco joined as the ninth member state of the DCO last month. The DCO was launched after Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency at the G20 Summit in November 2020, where there was great focus on the digital economy, especially in education and health in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Founded by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Pakistan, the DCO is driven by the vision of a digital future for all. It aims to empower women, youth and entrepreneurs, expanding the digital economy and advancing with innovation.
Bamakhrama told Arab News on Thursday: “The DCO is interested in digitization in the field of administration and the economy, and works with governments, civil society, international organizations and the private sector in promoting comprehensive digital transformation within member states by adopting initiatives focused on the digital economy and supporting women, youth and entrepreneurs in this field.”
Bamakhrama added that countries in the DCO are part of a broader network for building global partnerships that develop common digital ambitions.
The ambassador said that the organization aims to achieve diversification and economic and social prosperity, thanks to the growth opportunities provided by the digital transformation of the public sector.
“Djibouti joining the organization comes within the framework of an ambitious national will to adopt digitization, with the aim of responding to many challenges and finding sustainable solutions to them, and providing an exceptional environment for work, living and prosperity in Djibouti,” said the ambassador.
Djibouti’s entry to the DCO comes after Minister of State in charge of Digital Economy and Innovation Maryam Hamdo Ali visited Saudi Arabia in late March, when she met with many senior officials specialized in information technology and digitization.
“In Djibouti, digital technology occupies an important place in the program of President Ismail Omar Guelleh to promote national development at various levels,” said the ambassador.
Orginal Article Link: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2085826/saudi-arabia
World’s longest subsea cable lands in Djibouti, East Africa
Meta's 2Africa subsea cable has landed in Djibouti City, Djibouti.
Djibouti Telecom announced on 13 May that the country’s 9th subsea cable, which is 45,000 km long, had landed in the capital.
At 45,000 km and circling the African continent, the subsea cable is the longest fiber optic cable in the world and will connect three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe, and 33 countries across 46 landing points. It is due to go live in 2023/2024.
State-owned Djibouti Telecom will host the cable at the new Cable Landing Station which is currently under construction and will host others in the future. The CLS will consist of three floors with each floor having a 250 square meter (2,690 sq ft) equipment room. The 3rd floor will reportedly be reserved for colocation. When originally announced in October 2021, the facility was expected to be completed by April 2022.
The consortium behind the 2Africa subsea cable is made up of several companies including Meta, China Mobile International, MTN Global Connect, Orange, Vodafone, Egypt Telecom Saudi Telecom Company, and the West Indian Ocean Cable Company.
In April the cable made its first landing in Genoa, Italy, at Equinix's GN1.
Djibouti Telecom is a Government-run telecommunications company in the country that provides landline, mobile, and internet services to the general public.
The cable should significantly increase connectivity capabilities for Djibouti Telecom in a country undergoing significant growth in internet demand. In 2010, just seven percent of the population was reported to be using the internet. By 2020, this had jumped to 59 percent.
Improving internet connectivity was a major driver for Djibouti Telecom entering into an agreement with Meta, formerly known as Facebook, to land the cable in the country.
The construction of the cable was awarded to the French company ASN (Alcatel Submarine Networks).
In 2019 the company announced its plans with Meta to introduce an aluminum conductor in optical fiber cables as the most cost-effective submarine method. The press release stated that the cable variant had already been selected for a ‘major long-distance project’ however it has not been stated whether this project was the 2Africa cable.
As part of the announcement of 2Africa, a ceremony was held at beach Siesta with the Minister of Communication, Djibouti Telecom representatives, and representatives of the Smart Africa Alliance who stayed on in Djibouti to run a seminar on the Cloud with the Ministry of Digital Economy.
Djibouti is already a landing point for a number of subsea cables, with more due in the coming years. As well as 2Africa, Reliance Jio’s IEX, and the France-to-Pakistan-and-Kenya Peace Cable are all expected to land in Djibouti City in the near future.
2Africa is not the only subsea cable to land on the African continent this year. In March, Google’s Equiano cable landed in Togo and Nigeria, featuring 12 fiber pairs and a linking Portugal to South Africa. The Peace cable has also landed in Mombasa, Kenya.
Orginal Article Link: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/worlds-longest-subsea-cable-lands-in-djibouti-east-africa/
Djibouti to get new data center and cable landing stations:
Djibouti is due to get two new cable landing stations and a data center.
Djibouti Telecom this week said it had broken ground on a new Cable Landing Station in Djibouti City.
The CLS will consist of three floors with each floor having a 250 square meter (2,690 sq ft) equipment room. The 3rd floor will reportedly be reserved for colocation. The facility is expected to be completed by April 2022.
The new Cable Landing Station will be a neutral digital port which will provide an open-access cable landing service to submarine cable operators for a neutral, safe and secure landing in Djibouti City,” the company said.
“Djibouti Telecom is building a real digital platform for the region,” added Mohamed Assoweh Bouh, Director General of Djibouti Telecom.
At the same time, Extensia reports that Wingu.Africa has partnered with Djibouti ISP TO7 Network to develop a carrier-neutral data center and carrier-neutral cable landing station. Specifications weren’t shared, but the facility is expected to be ready for operation in early 2022.
“Djibouti is a strategic hub for traffic into Africa and a global interconnection point, and Wingu has operated a successful carrier-neutral data center for nearly a decade," said Anthony Voscarides, Wingu CEO. "Wingu recognizes the benefits of working with local partners and is delighted to partner with TO7 to offer the first carrier-neutral CLS.”
Fatma Ismael, CEO of TO7, added: “The partnership allows TO7 to play its role in realizing Djibouti’s strategy to enhance the country’s attractiveness as a hub for telecommunications players and investment. This initiative is both necessary, due to the requirement for carrier-neutrality, and complementary to Djibouti Telecom’s established infrastructure and cable system customers, as all the country’s telecommunications infrastructure will be connected, allowing customers open access and maximum flexibility.”
Djibouti is already a landing point for around a dozen subsea cables, with four more due in the coming years. The Facebook-led 2Africa, Reliance Jio’s IEX, and the France-to-Pakistan-and-Kenya Peace Cable are all expected to land in Djibouti City in the near future.
According to Baxtel, the country’s only current carrier-neutral colocation facility is the Djibouti Data Center (DDC) in Djibouti City, which also hosts the Djibouti Internet Exchange (DjIX). The facility opened in 2013. The DDC is a joint venture between Djibouti Telecom and Djibouti Data Center SARL, a group of local and international investors.
Orginal Article Link: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/djibouti-to-get-new-data-center-and-cable-landing-stations/
Siemens Gamesa Installs First Turbine in Djibouti
Siemens Gamesa has installed its first ever turbine in the African country of Djibouti at the 59MW Goubet wind farm.
Goubet, which is located on 395 hectares in the Arta region close to Lake Assal, will comprise 17 3.4-132 machines in total.
Siemens Gamesa sealed a contract in early January 2020 to supply and build the country’s first ever wind plant.
The company will also provide maintenance to the wind farm once it is fully operational.
The project is Siemens Gamesa’s first in Africa with the leadership and participation of an African investor.
A consortium of the Africa Finance Corporation, the Dutch development bank FMO, Climate Investor One and local company Great Horn Investment Holdings is developing the wind farm.
The project is covered by MIGA, the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.
Orginal Article Link: https://renews.biz/71364/siemens-gamesa-installs-first-turbine-in-djibouti/