(REPUBLIQUE DE DJIBOUTI) - The Government of the Republic of Djibouti has taken note with dismay of the "Container Port Performance Index 2023" report published on Wednesday, June 5, by the World Bank in partnership with the private company S&P (Standard and Poor’s).

According to this report, the Port of Djibouti has dropped from the 26th position worldwide in 2022 to the 379th position in 2023. This decline of over 350 places in a single year is obviously absurd and does not reflect any tangible reality on the ground.

The Republic of Djibouti strongly rejects the conclusions of this report which causes unjustified harm to our country and our facilities. This comes at a time when we have been facing complex operating conditions since early 2024 due to international tensions.

It is evident that the "data" used by the authors of this report are erroneous. Our performance indicators, in line with the best international standards, are constantly improving. The productivity of the quays at the Port of Djibouti container terminal is 120 movements per hour. Docking statistics show significant growth, resulting in an increase of over 30% between 2022 and 2023. The quays are far from being saturated, with an average utilization rate of 40%. The port also fulfills its responsibilities in terms of strategic and humanitarian support for the entire region. Finally, no exceptional events have disrupted the port's activities in 2022 and 2023.

The calculation methods used by the experts in this report seem to distort the reality of the port industry. Other world-class ports with high traffic density are downgraded in the "ranking" to the detriment of ports with significantly lower traffic.

Furthermore, for perplexing reasons, the Port of Djibouti – considered the best port in sub- Saharan Africa for three consecutive years by the same report – no longer appears in this region and has been "moved" to a "West, Central, and South Asia" region which covers an area from Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh.

In any case, our commitment remains unchanged. Last year, as in previous years, the Djibouti Container Terminal (SGTD) continued to invest in its facilities and productivity, fulfilling its import-export missions for the entire region, as well as developing new activities such as transshipment. Four next-generation gantry cranes have been acquired for large-capacity vessels.

The Terminal is more competitive than ever. It is at the center of a comprehensive multi- modal and multi-port project, a major and long-term investment for the State of Djibouti. All these facilities serve global trade and our clients, including shipping lines, economic players, importers, and exporters.