Ethiopia to Djibouti: A Journey Along the New Beijing-Backed Ethiopia-Djibouti Rail

Africa’s first fully electrified cross-border railway line, a Chinese-backed project stretching more than 450 miles from the country’s capital Addis Ababa to the Red Sea port of Djibouti. Kafani, 72, was born and raised in the village, explained that before construction began on the railway five years ago, he said, he could walk to his fields in about two hours; now, he needs about five. The rail “divides the village into two,” he told us. “We are happy about the project and the development,” he continued. “In the future our children will be able to get a job. Our only problem is the road. There is no bridge, no crossover—that is the problem.” Other villagers echoed the sentiment. It seemed to perfectly embody the pitfalls of rapid development—many Ethiopians have been forced to swap their traditional way of life for the promise of a brighter future, with no sense of when it might arrive. –Pulitzer Center/