The Ethiopian Roads Administration (ERA) is advancing a pilot road safety assessment in partnership with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), marking a key step toward establishing a national road safety initiative known as EthiopiaRAP.

The initiative aims to systematically identify high-risk roads across the country and prioritize infrastructure improvements to reduce road crashes, fatalities, and serious injuries.

The project is being led by the Transport and Road Safety Research Team at the ERA Road Research Centre, which is currently conducting a detailed safety assessment of one of the administration’s major road corridors. According to iRAP, the pilot is expected to strengthen local technical capacity to identify road safety risks and guide evidence-based infrastructure improvements.

The initiative forms part of a three-party Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2026 between ERA, the Road Safety Insurance Fund Service (RSIFS), and iRAP. The partnership seeks to address Ethiopia’s significant road safety challenges, with World Health Organization estimates indicating that more than 21,000 people die in road crashes in the country each year.

As part of the assessment, technical teams are conducting comprehensive road surveys, collecting high-resolution video footage, and gathering supporting data, including vehicle speed measurements and traffic volume counts for motorized vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.

This information will be used to code road attributes and generate iRAP Star Ratings, providing an objective assessment of road safety conditions for different categories of road users.

Following the assessment, the team plans to produce Star Rating maps and develop a tailored Safer Roads Investment Plan (SRIP). The plan will identify and prioritize cost-effective infrastructure improvements intended to deliver the greatest possible reduction in road deaths and serious injuries.

Tesfamicheal Chala, a road and transport engineer at the ERA Road Research Centre, expressed optimism about the progress being made toward improving road safety and making journeys safer for people across Ethiopia.

According to iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer, achieving United Nations road safety Target 4—ensuring that more than 75 percent of travel takes place on roads meeting at least a three-star safety standard by 2030—could prevent an estimated 9,385 road fatalities annually in Ethiopia.

The assessment highlights the potential benefits of upgrading road infrastructure to meet internationally recognized safety standards. According to the same estimates, improvements implemented over a 20-year treatment lifespan could prevent more than two million deaths and serious injuries while generating economic benefits estimated at $2.2 billion.

The projected benefits represent an estimated return of $11.80 for every dollar invested, underscoring the potential economic and social value of targeted road safety improvements.

The pilot assessment is expected to provide a foundation for expanding systematic road safety evaluations and investment planning across Ethiopia.

KEFI Gold and Copper has resumed development activities at its flagship Tulu Kapi Gold Project in Ethiopia following a temporary suspension triggered by a fatal incident in early September 2026.

The company said operations were halted after what it described as the “Genji Incident,” which began on September 4 and was resolved on September 10 following engagement with local community leaders. The incident marked the first fatality involving KEFI personnel during its 12 years of involvement in the project, according to the company.

During the suspension, KEFI’s senior management consulted local community representatives, federal and Oromia regional government officials, security agencies and other stakeholders. Discussions focused on community welfare, employment opportunities, security and workplace safety.

“We are enjoying huge support from all stakeholders and are now restarting development with a phased and measured approach in which we reinforce the emphasis on safety and community benefits,” said Harry Anagnostaras-Adams, KEFI’s executive chairman.

The company said the restart would proceed in several phases, beginning with reconnecting the project site to the regional electricity grid and remobilizing civil engineering teams to construct essential access roads.

The next phase will involve resettlement arrangements, including replacement housing and land for communities located within the mining licence area. Subsequent activities will include upgrading security infrastructure, undertaking major earthworks for the processing plant and constructing permanent staff accommodation.

KEFI said the project could directly employ approximately 1,000 local community members once the mine reaches active production. It also expects the development to create opportunities for local businesses and support infrastructure improvements, including roads, electricity connections, schools and healthcare facilities.

International specialists and contractors working on the project will prioritize local businesses with established operational experience in Oromia, the company said.

The resumption follows a major mining services agreement signed by KEFI with the BCM Group in June 2026. The contract, valued at more than $400 million, is intended to support mining operations at Tulu Kapi.

KEFI also said international lenders remained committed to the project as discussions continued over revised development timelines and financial arrangements.

Djibouti’s port sector is experiencing increased transshipment activity as geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea continue to disrupt international shipping routes, but rising fuel prices, equipment maintenance expenses and cargo-handling costs are putting pressure on operations and contributing to higher consumer prices.

Aboubaker Omar Hadi, chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority (DPFZA), said the country’s maritime sector had demonstrated resilience despite uncertainty surrounding regional shipping routes. However, he warned that the financial burden associated with the disruptions was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Speaking at a press conference at the Red Sea World Exhibition Center in Djibouti City on Thursday, Hadi assessed port performance amid regional maritime disruptions.

Djibouti’s strategic location at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden, has made it a critical gateway for trade connecting Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Its ports serve as important logistical hubs for regional commerce, particularly for landlocked Ethiopia and other markets across the Horn of Africa.

As security concerns have prompted shipping companies to change their traditional routes, Djibouti has benefited from increased transshipment volumes, with major carriers unloading containers for distribution to East African countries and other Red Sea destinations.

“From a maritime traffic standpoint, we are doing well—I would even say slightly up—simply because our transshipment volume has increased,” Hadi said.

Under the revised arrangements, some shipping companies unload cargo in Djibouti before vessels sail around the Cape of Good Hope to reach destinations in Europe and the Atlantic region.

However, Hadi described the increase as an unexpected development driven by circumstances beyond the country’s control, expressing hope that the disruption would not continue for long.

Despite the additional traffic, rising operational expenses are creating challenges for port management. Higher fuel prices, influenced by geopolitical tensions and volatility in international energy markets, have increased the cost of operating port infrastructure and maintaining containers and equipment.

“In terms of operational costs, for fuel used to maintain goods and containers in our ports, everything has gone up,” Hadi said.
Maintenance of heavy machinery and cargo-handling equipment has added to the financial burden, raising concerns about the sustainability of port operations if costs continue to climb.

The effects are also extending beyond the maritime sector. Higher shipping and logistics expenses can increase the cost of imported commodities, placing additional pressure on businesses and households across the region.

“Prices are indeed rising for consumers,” Hadi acknowledged. The developments are particularly important for Ethiopia, which depends heavily on Djibouti’s ports for international trade. Increases in shipping and port-related expenses can affect import costs and the prices of goods reaching Ethiopian markets.

Meanwhile, Hadi highlighted the Francophonie Economic Mission as an opportunity to attract investment and strengthen Djibouti’s international commercial relationships.
He welcomed the event, saying it was helping raise the country’s profile among French-speaking business communities and international investors.

Djibouti aims to capitalize on its strategic location, port infrastructure and free zones to diversify trade partnerships and strengthen its position as a regional logistics hub.

However, the long-term benefits of increased transshipment activity will depend partly on developments in the Red Sea. A return to normal shipping routes could reduce some of the additional traffic, while prolonged instability could sustain demand for alternative logistics arrangements and keep operating costs elevated.