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Angola and Zambia agree to build railway line
The governments of Angola and Zambia signed concession agreements with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) at the United Nations General Assembly in New York at the end of September. These agreements pave the way for the construction of an 800-kilometre railway line between the two countries. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the ceremony, as the project is supported by the Biden administration as part of the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Projects.
The so-called Zambia Lobito Rail Project envisages the construction of a railway line through the north-western provinces of Zambia, linking the Benguela railway in Angola near Luacano with Zambia’s rail network in Chingola. This route will be the shortest route for the import and export of goods and raw materials from the key mining and agricultural regions of Zambia and southern DR Congo, including copper and other minerals critical to the global energy transition. The project, which is expected to generate economic benefits of around three billion US dollars in the two countries, is also expected to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by 300,000 tonnes and create over 1,250 jobs during the construction and operational phases. Another aim is to establish a trade corridor linking the Atlantic Ocean on Angola’s coast with the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on the Indian Ocean. Angola’s Transport Minister Ricardo Viegas d’Abreu emphasised that the project would strengthen his country’s role as a regional logistics hub, while his Zambian counterpart Frank Tayali explained that it was a significant step towards modernising infrastructure and improving economic power.
The AFC has already been appointed as the lead developer of the project in 2023 and is working closely with the US government, the European Union, the African Development Bank and the governments of Angola, DR Congo and Zambia. The US Trade and Development Agency also provided a grant of two million US dollars for environmental and social impact assessments to ensure that the project meets international standards.
The railway project has the potential to strengthen intra-African trade and drive both investment and economic development in the region. Cooperation with international partners and institutions demonstrates the growing global interest in African infrastructure, particularly with regard to the supply of critical raw materials for the energy transition. In addition to strengthening economic relations, the Zambia Lobito Rail Project will also be the focus of US President Joe Biden’s first trip to Africa, when he visits Angola in mid-October.
Libya appoints new central bank governor
On Monday, Naji Mohamed Issa Belqasem was confirmed as governor of Libya’s central bank and Mari Muftah Rahil Barrasi as his deputy by Libya’s two rival governments, the High Council of State in Tripoli and the House of Representatives in Benghazi. This ends weeks of controversy over the appointment of the central bank’s highest office, which has been waged by representatives of the eastern and western governments, who have been competing for political power in Libya since the country divided in 2014.
Libya’s Head of State and Chairman of the Presidential Council of the country’s transitional unity government, Mohamed al-Menfi, welcomed the agreement and praised its ‘potential to resolve all political issues’. Al-Menfi had dismissed the long-serving central bank governor Sadiq al-Kabir in August, sparking a domestic political conflict over control of the North African country’s oil revenues. The eastern factions, including the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Haftar, opposed the Presidential Council’s unilateral action to remove al-Kabir by blocking oil production, which is mainly located in the east of the country.
In an interview at the UN in New York, al-Menfi defended his decision, stating that al-Kabir had managed the central bank’s funds without regard to his accountability and had exploited the division in the country for his own purposes. He also stated that he had issued his decree in order to protect the capital Tripoli from a war that would directly target the central bank after months of negotiations between the dismissed governor and parliament had failed. Al-Menfi’s critics, however, believe that the sacking was not just about accountability issues, but about the West’s loss of confidence in the way al-Kabir was distributing revenues. Al-Kabir had gained considerable influence and power during his tenure since 2011, but had also faced criticism from officials on both sides of the country’s political divide over the distribution of Libya’s oil money. The central bank plays a politically significant role in Libya, as it is the only legal repository for Libyan oil revenues and pays state salaries throughout the country. For his part, al-Kabir, who fled into exile, described his dismissal as illegal. He and other bank employees had been forced to leave the country for security reasons in order to protect their lives from possible attacks by armed militias.
According to the state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC), the closure of the oil fields from 26 to 28 August led to losses of over 120 million US dollars. At the beginning of September, an agreement was reached between the conflicting government institutions under the supervision of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), in which Belqasem was appointed interim governor, while Barrasi continued to act as deputy. In the coming weeks, a new board of governors made up of experts is to be appointed, in which the country’s various geographical interests are adequately represented.
In other news
At the 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon last Sunday, Milkesa Mengesha and Tigist Ketema from Ethiopia triumphed over the other competitors. With a new personal best time of 2:03:17 hours, 24-year-old Mengesha was able to beat Kenyan Cybrian Kotut in the closing sprint. In ideal weather conditions at the weekend, he managed to leave Kotut behind, who crossed the finish line just five seconds later. This makes Milkesa Mengesha the fourth Ethiopian to win the Berlin Marathon, which has been held since 1974.
The women’s race was won by the favourite Tigist Ketema in a time of 2:16:42 hours. This makes her the fifth Ethiopian woman in a row to win the Berlin Marathon. The 26-year-old ran her first marathon in Dubai in January in the fastest debut time and ninth-fastest time by a woman in marathon history. The former middle-distance runner is the training partner of the current world record holder Tigist Assefa, who also comes from Ethiopia. Assefa set her world record at the Berlin Marathon a year ago.