Ethiopia to import 85 percent of its oil from Sudan
By ABEBE ANDUALEM, Associated Press Writer
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 22, 2001 (AP) -- Ethiopia will import 85 percent of its fuel requirements from neighboring Sudan beginning next year, a state-owned newspaper said Friday.
The two countries signed an agreement in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, last week, under which Ethiopia will import 120,000 metric tons of gasoline and 36,000 tons of kerosene per year, the Addis Zemen reported.
The newspaper quoted Yigzaw Makonnen, general manager of the state-owned Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise, as saying the landlocked country would save dlrs 7 million dollars annually by importing fuel from Sudan rather than relying on imports from outside Africa.
Ethiopia is estimated to spend dlrs 120 million dollars each year importing fuel from the international market.
Yigzaw said the 120,000 tons of gasoline would meet 85 percent of Ethiopia's vehicle fuel demand, and the 36,000 tons of kerosene would provide nearly all of the cooking fuel requirements for northern Ethiopia and about 20 percent of the rest of the country.
Kerosene is used by nearly all households for cooking purposes.
Yigzaw said Sudan will also allow Ethiopia to build a fuel depot inside Sudanese territory to ensure a steady supply of fuel to Ethiopia by road. |
