http://www.capitalethiopia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5774:chaos-at-djibouti-port-as-ethiopia-awaits-delivery-of-emergency-cargo&catid=54:news&Itemid=27
Chaos at Djibouti port as Ethiopia awaits delivery of emergency cargo
By Muluken Yewondwossen
Monday, 28 March 2016 06:24
The port of Djibouti is congested with over 20 vessels carrying mainly
Ethiopian fertilizer, grains and general cargos, Capital learnt.
Earlier in 2016, being aware of the drought caused by Elnino, Djibouti Port
officials were informing Ethiopian authorities of the necessity to
anticipate and prepare sufficient truck fleet to uplift all expected bulk
vessels, according to the port officials at Djibouti.
“At this moment, lack of sufficient trucks for transporting dry bulk cargo
and disorganized arrival of vessels at the port are the main reasons behind
the current situation at the Port of Djibouti SA (PDSA). Although Djibouti
Port is equipped with specialized bulk Terminal which handles cargo with
latest equipment such as sucking machines, bagging lines capable to
dispatch 21,000MT a day,” said officials.
Several meetings had been held regularly between Ethiopian and Djiboutian
officials to address the issue, with the port’s authority going as far as
allowing cargo vessels to berth in areas set aside for navy operations. The
Port Authority received a prioritization program which is vessels at the
port carrying critical cargo such as wheat to feed drought affected
populations and fertilizer.
Djibouti port officers told Capital that about 12 vessels at the anchorage
are carrying grain for Ethiopia, while Ethiopian officials say that only a
few of those are for emergency aid. Other bulk vessels being for commercial
wheat.
Two weeks ago, a high level delegation from Ethiopia, led by Mekonnen
Abera, Director General of Maritime Affairs Authority (MAA), which under
Ministry of Transport, and with attendance of Mesfin Tefera, Deputy CEO of
Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprises visited Djibouti and
met with PDSA officials to discuss and come up with solutions for the issue.
Saad Omar Guelleh, General Manager of PDSA, told Capital that his office is
working closely with Ethiopian offices based in Djibouti and Addis Ababa to
address the current situation.
“We disclosed our concern to Ethiopian logistics offices, and ensured
Ethiopian trucks focus on aid and fertilizer cargo, rather than other
cargo,” Saad Omar Guelleh said.
Port officials also confirmed that Ethiopian demands have been met with the
prioritization of critical cargo. “Even we have dedicated six berths for
the bulk shipment of grain and fertilizer cargos (4 berths where ships can
each perform more than 5,000mt per day),” port officials said.
Citing lack of harmonization of vessel arrivals at the port as another
concern, Saad Omar Guelleh said, “The government should also direct private
transport companies to focus on designated emergency cargo,” furthermore
Saad Omar Guelleh confirms that PDSA prepared warehouses free of charges to
support priority cargo.
At discussions held on March 13, between port officials and Ethiopian
maritime delegates, port officials claimed that Ethiopian trucks are not
working effectively to receive and deliver the grain and fertilizer cargo
off vessels, sources in attendance told Capital.
Port officials also stated vessels’ arrival at the port needs to be better
coordinated by the Ethiopian side. Disorganized arrival of vessels is
considered as a major factor for vessel congestion. A port official told
Capital, more than five vessels have arrived within a single day.
The mobilization of trucks in the private and public sectors has been put
forward from the Djiboutian side as a possible solution to ease congestion.
“We have a lot of cargo at Djibouti. On six berths vessels are uplifted
their cargo and additional up 17 vessels are on anchorage. Previously, we
have been fleeted up 9,000tones per day, which is increased to 13,000, but
it is not sufficient because we have more than one million tons of bulk and
general cargo at the port,” Workneh Gebeyehu (PhD), Minister of Transport,
told Capital.
Mekonnen told Capital that the Ethiopian government is working attentively
to mobilize trucks and uplifting priority cargo, “Since recently
discussions with port officials, there is significant progress in terms of
operations at the port. We have already mobilized public and private
trucks,” he told Capital.
Trucks assigned delivery of food aid and fertilizer cargo are now a fleet
of 300 on average and will be expanded, according to the general manager of
MAA. He added that the greater fleet can now transport up to 16,000 tons of
cargo a day, up from the former maximum of 12,000 tons.
“The problem is the truck; we have totally 9,000 trucks that assigned to
the port cargo, but we need up to 13,000 trucks to accelerate the fleet,”
Workneh explained.
“To solve the trucks shortage we have now assigned trucks who engaged in
side the country,” he added. According to the Minister, the ministry has
also mobilized private companies such as MIDROC and Dangote, and military
trucks.
“We have also on the process to add trucks from Sudan to engage on the
fleet,” he said.
According to the maritime authority’s head, three fertilizer vessels left
the berths by Wednesday March 23 and now only one fertilizer vessel waiting
at the anchorage. There are a few aid cargo vessels among the twelve in the
port, with most carrying Ethiopian Grain Trade Enterprise’s trade cargo.
Workneh said that currently up to 780 trucks uplifts cargo from the port
per day. “We have targeted to increase the number of trucks to 1140 per
day. The upcoming trucks from private companies and military in addition
with the trucks from in Sudan will meet our target to increase the number
of trucks,” he added.
The other issue is to increase the number of days of the trucks fleet to
the port. Currently, the maximum fleet of trucks to Djibouti is three times
a week, but the government has targeted to expand the number of fleet up to
five times a week.
He accepted that there is lack of coordination in terms of vessels arrival.
In the beginning of the year we have been designed how many vessels arrive
at the port, but the current emergency issue forced as to go behind our
plan,” Workneh said. He said that the general cargos like edible oil and
others are also basic needs for the public that have to transport on time
in the country.
“But we are strongly working to manage the current crisis,” he added.
The other agenda raised at the meeting between the two bodies was the
transportation of aid cargo via the recently built diesel railway line,
which will later be electrified. According to information obtained by
Capital, 1,200 tons of grain is being transported by rail every three days,
but the Ethiopian Railway Corporation should increase this effort,
according to Djibouti’s port officials.
The Djiboutian sides have demanded uplifting capacity to reach 5,000mt per
day per vessel, from the current 3,000mt contractual uplift rate from
consignee and transport companies.
MAA’s general manager, however, has declined the proposal citing that such
a rate is not practical given some of the berths’ small depth and width.
“It is a theoretical capacity, if it was practically designed capacity, we
would have been glad to accept because we can solve our problem within a
short period. But it is impossible,” he explained.
As the concerned authorities from both countries’ sides look to solve the
problem, trade cargo vessels carrying with steel, coal and other
commodities remain stranded at the anchorage, according to officials in
Ethiopia.
“Both fertilizer and aid cargo are humanitarian,” says Mekonnen and he adds
that despite the high costs to the country – this cargo will continue to be
prioritized over general cargo. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian state owned
transit operator has disclosed a temporarily block on transportation of all
steel cargo to facilitate the emergency cargo’s delivery.
Both authorities agreed the urgent necessity to mobilize truck fleet to
uplift all arrived and expected priority cargo. The Djiboutian authorities
have shown willingness to support Ethiopian authorities in emergency
efforts. Authorities have offered to facilitate warehouses at the port in
order to improve vessels’ operations and mitigate the current situation’s
effect on the Port of Djibouti’s image.
Received on Mon Mar 28 2016 - 12:14:02 EDT