Transformative prospects and challenges of the Chinese-built railways of Ethiopia: the Addis Ababa Light Train and the Addis–Djibouti Railway

The research is based on a multi-year field project since the first year of operation of the Addis–Djibouti Railway in 2018, coupled with an ongoing investigation into the Addis Ababa Light Train. The article deals with the geopolitical situation of Ethiopia as a landlocked sub-Saharan African country with the intention of achieving better connectivity into global flows via an enhanced rail network and port access. With this, Ethiopia strives to fulfil its national development goals and position itself not only as the political ‘capital’ of the continent housing the HQ of the African Union, but also as an economic powerhouse of the Horn of Africa macro-region. Within the realm of International Relations and geopolitics, the research tackles numerous dimensions of the two railway developments, critically looking at their transformative prospects and challenges, ranging from inner-city transportation, via the multiplying effects of large connecting infrastructure to the issue of debt. The article wishes to contribute to a deeper understanding of the everyday presence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative with all such projects and Chinese loans in general – but from the African developmental side. Special attention will be given to what extent Chinese activities connected to infrastructure enhancement can be understood as constitutive elements of development – in particular, as interpreted by the Ethiopian side – in the 21st century, also compared with previous forms and interpretations since the 1960s.