Tunisia launches transit corridor through Libya to sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing regional trade and economic integration
via Libya Herald6 min read
Tunisia has initiated a continental land transit corridor project, originating from Libya's Ras Jedir border crossing and extending to sub-Saharan African countries including Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic. This strategic move aims to reduce export costs and time, improve logistics, and foster economic integration within Africa, aligning with the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA. The project offers Libya a significant opportunity to leverage its geographical position, transforming it into a logistics hub connecting Mediterranean ports with sub-Saharan African markets. This could boost trade, increase land transport and logistics activities, and facilitate the establishment of commercial and industrial zones along the route, revitalizing Libyan ports as gateways for goods from Europe destined for the Sahel. Libya already has a vision for transit trade, with proposed corridors such as Tripoli-Sebha-Niger, Benghazi-Kufra-Chad, and Kufra-Sudan, which aim to connect its ports to African markets. The plan also includes establishing logistics hubs and upgrading southern border crossings to facilitate transit trade. Observers believe these projects could position Libya as a major trade gateway between Europe and Africa, strengthening its role in regional supply chains.
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Must ReadArmed clashes and exchanges of fire in the city of Zawia intensified, affecting areas near the Zawia Oil Refinery complex. The refinery reported that heavy caliber shells fell within its compound, reaching operating areas. This necessitated an emergency shutdown of the refinery and the evacuation of tankers from the port to ensure safety. The Libyan Red Crescent branch in Zawiya received distress calls from citizens, noting widespread anxiety and panic due to the clashes. The Zawia Security Directorate, representing the Tripoli-based Libyan government, launched a security operation against outlaw hideouts, urging citizen cooperation and warning wanted individuals against resistance. Zawia is described as a politically polarized city, with this polarization contributing to a security vacuum exploited by various groups involved in illicit trade.
Must ReadThe African Development Bank AfDB has expressed a strong desire to support the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio LAIP's Two Transit Corridors Project. The AfDB's offer includes mobilizing international funding from donors to secure partial or full financing for the project's technical and economic studies and subsequent phases. This offer followed a meeting on May 6 between LAIP's High Committee for the project and an AfDB delegation led by Malin Blomberg, the Bank’s Deputy Director, at the Land Transport Authority of the Tripoli-based Libyan Ministry of Transport. The meeting highlighted the project's strategic importance and its potential to enhance transportation, logistics, and connectivity among African nations. Both parties agreed to continue coordination, cooperation, and the exchange of technical data to advance the project.
The Attorney General’s Office in Libya has launched an investigation into alleged illicit financial benefits from banking operations at Al-Wahda Bank’s Souq Al-Thulatha branch. The Anti-Corruption Prosecution, under the Tripoli Court of Appeal, is examining information related to the collection of US$2.8 million in documentary credits without the corresponding deposit of Libyan dinars. Authorities have ordered the detention of the official responsible for managing documentary credit affairs at the time of the transaction and a representative of the company that benefited from the alleged fraud. Other participants in the incident are also being sought for questioning. Separately, Libya's Administrative Control Authority ACA continues to receive complaints and reports from citizens and residents through its Raqeeb whistleblowing website, aiming to enhance transparency and legal accountability while protecting whistleblowers.
Al-Hadba Al-Khadra General Hospital in Libya successfully performed the country's first wireless pacemaker implantation on a patient with a slow heart rate. This procedure, part of the Ministry of Health's 100-day Plan, marks a significant medical milestone for Libya and is the eighth such implantation on the African continent. The Ministry of Health highlighted that this achievement demonstrates the efficiency of Libyan medical staff in utilizing advanced wireless pacemaker technology, which is implanted directly into the heart without traditional wires, thereby reducing risks and accelerating patient recovery. This initiative reflects the Ministry's commitment to developing the healthcare sector and improving services for Libyan citizens, underscoring the positive impact of investing in national medical expertise and providing a suitable technical environment.