A high-level Chadian delegation, led by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Guibolo Fanga Mathieu — who is also serving as acting Minister of Transport, Civil Aviation, and National Meteorology — took part on Friday, May 2, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in a high-level ministerial meeting organized by Etihad Rail, the Emirati railway authority.
This meeting, which brought together six countries, served as the framework for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Railway Office (ONCF) of Chad and Etihad Rail.
The primary objective of the meeting was to explore avenues for cooperation in the implementation of railway projects. To this end, the financing mechanisms and associated commitments were clarified.
The signed MoU will accelerate the implementation of the railway project connecting Chad to Cameroon. The occasion also allowed Etihad Rail to present a tripartite cooperation framework between Chad, the United Arab Emirates, and Cameroon.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the following key points were agreed upon:
- Implementation of the aforementioned MoU will begin with data collection on freight volumes to be transported on the Chad-Cameroon railway line, in order to assess the project’s profitability;
- Updating of the feasibility studies completed in June 2024;
- The timeline presented by Etihad Rail, spanning from May to December 2025, defines the upcoming phases and proposes an institutional framework for the preparation phase leading up to contract signing. The Chadian and Cameroonian parties raised no objections to this timeline, which will ultimately lead to a business plan.
All discussions took place in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Oumar Teguen Idebei Berde, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chad to the United Arab Emirates, along with members of the delegation, including the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry, Mr. Hissein Sidi Youssoumi, the Director General of COC-TCHAD, Mr. Hamid Djoumino, and the Deputy Director General of ONCF, Mr. Ismail Mahamat Ahmat.
Source : Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation and Meteorology of Chad
