African Development Bank injects $878 million into Algeria's ambitious railway project
via Algérie3603 min read
The African Development Bank AfDB has approved a $878.09 million funding package for the construction of a 230-kilometer railway section connecting Ghardaïa to El Meniaâ in Algeria. This segment is part of a larger 495-kilometer railway line intended to connect the Great South of Algeria. The overall project aims to link Algiers to Tamanrasset, forming a north-south railway artery that will facilitate the transport of mineral and agricultural resources from the Sahara to the Mediterranean coast. The AfDB's support is seen as crucial for Algeria's strategy to open up its territories and strengthen its logistics infrastructure, positioning the country as a hub for trade between Sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean basin, and Europe. Mike Salawou, AfDB Director of Infrastructure and Urban Development, stated that the funding will support strategic railway infrastructure to stimulate economic transformation, territorial connectivity, and regional integration. The project is also integral to Algeria's economic diversification efforts, moving away from its historical reliance on hydrocarbons. This railway line is expected to integrate into the trans-Saharan railway corridor, connecting Algeria to its Sahel neighbors and further to West and Central Africa, thereby boosting the "made in Algeria" presence in African markets. The AfDB views this investment as strengthening Algeria's role as a gateway between Africa, the Mediterranean, and Europe, and reaffirms its partnership in moder
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Algeria's Ministry of Health is set to progressively deploy a fully digital electronic medical record system across the country starting this summer. This initiative, announced by Mahboub Massaoudi, Director General of Information Systems and IT at the Ministry of Health, aims to create a unified and secure health record for each citizen, connecting all hospitals to a central database. The project, overseen by Minister of Health Professor Mohamed Seddik Aït Messaoudène, involves modernizing network infrastructure and equipping healthcare facilities with advanced technology for secure real-time data transfer. The first phase focused on digitizing emergency services, which helped optimize patient reception and revealed that many emergency visits were for non-critical conditions that could be handled at local health centers. Patient identification will be instant through a direct link between hospital servers and civil status records, using biometric identity cards to generate a unique national medical file with a complete history of care. Mr. Massaoudi stated that deployment will begin in all wilayas within three months, with intensive training for healthcare staff. Additionally, the ministry is integrating over a dozen new services into the national digital services portal, including a geolocation tool for health facilities, a user complaints section, and a recruitment platform. New digital spaces will also list unemployed healthcare professionals for strategic placement. The
Must ReadA fire at the Mohammadia Assisted Children's Establishment in eastern Algiers early on Thursday, July 16, has resulted in 11 deaths and 19 injuries. The injured include 10 with burns, 2 with respiratory difficulties, and 7 suffering from psychological shock. Five people with special needs were also evacuated to safety. Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited the hospitalized victims and conveyed condolences from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to the affected families. He also stated that instructions have been given for optimal medical care for the injured. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause and circumstances of the fire, which remains unknown. Civil Protection teams quickly responded to the incident, deploying 10 fire trucks, 16 ambulances, a specialized intervention team GRIMP, two trucks with mechanical ladders, and reinforcements from the National Training and Intervention Unit. Operations to extinguish the fire and conduct reconnaissance are ongoing, indicating the casualty figures are provisional. While Algeria is experiencing a heatwave with numerous fires, no link has been established between the weather conditions and the Mohammadia incident.
Rachida Brakni, a Franco-Algerian actress, director, and singer, has declined the Legion of Honor, France's highest civilian award, after her name appeared on the prestigious July 14th civil promotion list. Brakni announced her decision on Instagram, stating that the "question of honor" extends beyond official medals. She expressed surprise at the nomination, which she was not informed about in advance. The 49-year-old actress explained that her sense of honor is a "precious moral duty" she strives to apply daily in her work, writing, and life choices, valuing the esteem of those important to her more than any distinction. Brakni attributes her strong principles to her late father, Kaddour, an Algerian immigrant worker, who instilled in her a strict upbringing and courage, providing her with a "passport to freedom" that fueled her social and artistic success, including César and Molière awards in 2002. Her book, "Kaddour," explores this spiritual connection and the complexities of exile, recounting the repatriation of her father's body to Tipaza, Algeria, during the pandemic, and honoring a generation of uprooted men between France and Algeria.