On Monday, the Governor of the Sudanese Darfur Region, Mini Arko Minawi said that the Libya-Sudanese Joint Commerce Chambers held intensive meetings in Tripoli, to discuss the reopening of the border crossing between the two countries, in order to revitalise trade.
In press statements, Minawi stated that the two-week meetings concluded with the reopening of the Libyan Consulate in the city of Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, and the reopening of the Sudanese Consulate in the city of Kufra, in southern Libya.
He added that they also agreed to construct a road linking the two cities, which are more than 1,000 km apart.
Notably, the meetings were headed by Mohamed Ahmed Al-Zein, the Head of the Kufra Free Zone, and attended by Saleh Badr Al-Zawi, the Head of the Sudanese community in the eastern region, Libya’s Minister of Communications, Abdul Hakim Mohamed Al-Ghaziwi, and the Minister of Water Resources, Mohamed Abdul Karim Douma. As well as several members of the Libyan-Sudanese Economic Committee
On his part, Libya’s Deputy Prime Minister-designate, Ali Faraj Al-Qatrani stressed the need to “open joint horizons between the two countries and to support joint economic cooperation, because of its positive impact on the two peoples. As well as to achieve common interests in light of the availability of economic resources in the two countries.”
The meeting touched on the necessity of activating the faltering Libyan projects in Sudan, the issue of banning the import of livestock, the importance of partnerships in the industrial sector, and opening the Kufra-Darfur road.
Al-Qatrani said that “some obstacles to the activation of the Libya-Sudan joint committee remain.” He stressed that the Libyan government “will work to overcome them to facilitate the movement of investors. The first steps were taken to establish the Kufra-Sudan free zone by implementing the road linking them.”
He pointed out measures that the two governments will take, including opening the border crossing, providing security, and securing the movement of people and goods between the two countries. Regarding the livestock import ban, Al-Qatrani indicated that this will be referred to the Minister of Agriculture for consideration.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba announced the re-opening of the Libya-Sudan border crossing.
This came during the opening of an economic forum under the slogan “Free Zone for Transit Trade”, organized by the Libyan-Sudanese Joint Economic Chamber in Tripoli.
In his speech, the PM stressed the government’s “determination to develop economic and trade relations with neighbouring countries, particularly Sudan. As well as hold forums that contribute to strengthening the economy, and revitalizing transit trade.”
Dbaiba stressed the “importance of holding the joint ministerial committee meeting, to activate a number of measures that will contribute to supporting free zones and transit trade.”