Côte d’Ivoire to supply fuel to Guinea in wake of fuel terminal explosion

The Ivorian Government announced Wednesday December 27 the decision to send every month 50 million liters of fuel to Guinea, which is facing an acute shortage following the explosion this month of the country’s fuel terminal.

“Côte d’Ivoire commits to deliver 50 million liters of fuel per month to Guinea”, the State-run television RTI said in a communique.

“The practical details of the contract and the securing of convoys will be signed on Thursday December 28”, it added.

It is unclear how long the deal will last. The announcement came following the visit of Guinea’s minister of Finance and Economy Moussa Cissé who met with Côte d’Ivoire’s minister of Mines, Energy and Oil Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly.

Guinea reportedly is currently in need of 70 million liters of fuel per month to meet domestic demand. The shortage is caused by the explosion 10 days ago of the country’s main fuel depot in the capital Conakry.

The explosion which killed 24 people and injured 454 others has badly disrupted the distribution and sales of fuel across the country, affecting the economy.

Fuel distribution resumed last Saturday. The State instructed a rational distribution, 5 liters for two- or three-wheel vehicles and 25 liters for car daily and no filling station should sell more than 3,000 liters per day.