Tanzania and Burundi have signed a landmark agreement with two Chinese companies to build a 282-kilometer railway connecting the two African nations.
The $2.15 billion joint venture, financed by the African Development Bank, aims to transport metals, including battery mineral nickel, to the port city of Dar es Salaam.
The railway line, expected to transport three million metric tons of minerals annually, will be constructed by China Railway Engineering Group Ltd and China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group.
This project is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has funded numerous infrastructure projects across Africa over the last decade.
The signing ceremony was attended by Tanzania’s transport minister, Makame Mbarawa, and finance minister, Mwigulu Nchemba.
The project is expected to boost economic ties between Tanzania and Burundi, while also increasing exports in the East African region.
