Ethiopia bags China debt deal, others wait

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing. PHOTO | AFP

Ethiopia became the first country on the continent to have its Chinese debts restructured even as it became apparent that several other countries were waiting for loan concessions to avert distress.

On Thursday, Ethiopia announced that China had agreed to restructure some of its loans, including the one for the $4 billion railway linking its capital Addis Ababa with Djibouti.