Completed Mixed AidData Chinese Aid

China Eximbank provides loan for construction of 1,480 km fibre optic network from Chad to Sudan

$32.81M USD

Funder	Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank)
Recipient Organization	SUDATCHAD
Country	Africa, regional
Start Date	Jan 01, 2015
End Date	Nov 16, 2027
Duration	4,702 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`55525`

Grant Description

China Eximbank provides loan for construction of 1,480 km fibre optic network from Chad to Sudan In 2015, the Chinese Government agreed to fund the construction of a 1480 km fiber-optic cable connecting the capital city of N'Djamena with the Al-Junaynah area of Sudan as well as the Abéché and Adre areas of Chad.

According to Chad's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the project was financed by a credit agreement with China Eximbank.

The total cost of the commercial contract for the project was $38.6 million, but it is unclear what percentage of the commercial contract cost was financed by China Eximbank.

A special purpose vehicle called SUDATCHAD — jointly owned by the Government of Chad and the Government of Sudan — was established to manage the financing, design, implementation, and maintenance of the project. Huawei Technologies was the contractor responsible for project implementation. Construction began in June 2014, and the main fiber optic cable was laid by the end of May 2015.

At the beginning of 2017, China’s MOFCOM reported that the project was ‘basically complete’.

However, according to Idriss Saleh Bachar, the President of Chad’s Regulatory Council of ARCEP (Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts), the project was ultimately not completed until November 28, 2018.

Then, in July 2019, the fiber optic cable was officially inaugurated by the President of Chad, Idriss Deby, and put into use.

Inclement weather and financing problems at ARCEP (related to declining oil prices) delayed the implementation of this project.

📋 Staff Comments

The French project title is La fibre optique Tchad-Soudan. The Chinese project title is 乍得-苏丹通讯光缆项目.
One World Bank source (http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/100611482161172882/Central-African-Backbone-APL1A-ICR-P108368-final-cleared-12162016.docx) suggests that this project was ‘funded by Huawei’. Another source (https://magazinedelafrique.com/african-business/idriss-saleh-bachar-mon-pays-a-lheure-de-leconomie-numerique/) suggests that this project was ultimately financed by the Government of Chad rather than China Eximbank. This issue requires further investigation.
Some sources suggests that the project ultimately laid approximately 1,204 km rather than 1,480 km of fiber optic cable. This issue requires further investigation.
The face value of the loan is unknown. For the time being, AidData assumes that the loan was provided in the form of a buyer's credit and it financed 85% of the $38.6 million commercial contract cost. This issue warrants further investigation.

📚 Sources & References

华为承建乍得-苏丹国际海缆系统
冶金行业
中国华为承建乍得-苏丹光纤网络互联项目
Tchad : dynamique pour l’essor d’une économie numérique en cours
RAPPORT D’ACTIVITES DE L’ORGANE CHARGE DES MARCHES PUBLICS
Govt inaugurates N’Djamena-Adre cable, lifts blockade on social media
对外投资合作国别（地区）指南乍得
Chad awards fibre management contract to SUDATCHAD
Forum de développement régional pour l’Afrique 2020
La gestion de la fibre optique par Sudatchad se confirme
Le Directeur General
Idriss Saleh Bachar : Mon « pays à l’heure de l’économie numérique »
IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.

All Grantees

SUDATCHAD

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