Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
On January 22, 2008, China Eximbank agreed in principle to provide an EUR 470 million to the Government of Mauritania to cover 70% of the total cost of the 430 km Kaedi-Nouakchott Railway Project. The agreement was also signed by private Mauritanian investors and Mauritanian Transportation Minister, Ahmed Ould Mohameden. The remainder of the project cost was to be provided by Mauritania's Phosphate Company, a major beneficiary of the railway. The borrowing terms of the loan are unknown. Sudan's Danfodio Holding and China's Transtech Engineering were selected as the contractors responsible for implementation. The project would have involved the construction of a railway connecting Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, to Bofal, which contains phosphate deposits. The route of the railway would have passed through Tiguint, Mederdra, R'Kiz, Leguatt, Leeleibatt and Menjem Boffal. However, it appears that a final loan agreement was never reached. As of 2012, an Indian firm was mining the phosphate deposits in Bofal.