World News

DP World has hit back at President of the Republic of Djibouti following media comments made about the disputed Doraleh Container Terminal and the company’s Port of Berbera developments.

Comments made by Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, in an interview published in Jeune Afrique and the Africa Report, “are false, and cannot be left unchallenged,” said DP World.

The actions of Djibouti's Government in seizing the Doraleh Container Terminal, part of the Port of Doraleh, an extension of the Port of Djibouti, from DP World in 2018 were illegal under English law, which governed the concession, as well as international law, said the company. Six substantive rulings have been made in DP World's favour by tribunals at the London Court of International Arbitration and the High Court of England and Wales. DP World reiterates that the Djiboutian Government should abide by the many court rulings and restore its full rights under the concession agreement of 2006.

DP World said the implication in President Guelleh's statement that DP World has been offered monetary compensation, but refused it, is untrue. "The government has not offered DP World any compensation for this illegal expropriation of its investment."

No contact with DP World has ever been made by the Djiboutian authorities, nor has the Government complied with any of the many prior judgments against it, stressed DP World.

Berbera developments

“The claim made by the president that there is no development taking place at the Port of Berbera is false and not based on any reasonable insights the president could have,” said DP World.

The company said it has committed to investing up to US$442m in improvements in Berbera which are 70% complete and will increase capacity by 500,000 TEUs per year. In August this year DP World completed a new 400m quay and a 25-hectare yard extension of the new container terminal. New harbour cranes have been installed. The terminal is on schedule for commissioning by the end of March.