South Sudan and Djibouti signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to connect fiber optic cable running from Djibouti through Ethiopia to Juba.
According to the South Sudanese Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, the MOU will be followed by the formation of a technical team from both countries to carry out this project. The Djibouti fiber that South Sudan will be drawing from will add to other similar infrastructure that the country already has deployed through private and public initiatives.
South Sudan has also benefited from 630 km of fiber optic interconnection with Kenya, deployed in October 2020 with funding from the World Bank and the Kenyan government. The country aims to lay the fiber optic network to link the national capital, Juba, with the rest of the world as well as cut the high cost of using the internet.
Like most African countries, South Sudan also has a digital transformation ambition. By acquiring additional data capabilities, the country will be able to realize this vision for the majority of its citizens.