Djibouti seizes control of DP World's container terminal

Djibouti has seized control of a container terminal run by Dubai-based port operator DP World, the latest move in a long-running legal dispute in the East African nation over the facility.

A statement on behalf of President Ismail Omar Guelleh's office issued yesterday said the government had "decided to proceed with the unilateral termination with immediate effect." DP World won a 50-year concession to operate the port in 2006, which it describes as Djbouti's largest employer.

DP World issued a statement late Thursday night acknowledging that Djibouti authorities seized the Doraleh Container Terminal.

The Dubai government-backed port operator said it was "the culmination the government's campaign to force the DP World to renegotiate the terms of the concession."
 

Dubai says a London arbitration court dismissed claims by Djibouti last year.