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Algeria's plans to implement the Trans-Saharan Railway, extending from capital Algiers to the southern Tamanrasset province is expected to catalyse a large economic zone encompassing seven countries, according to a report by the Algerian news agency.
The railway will strengthening Algeria's economic development role by connect its Mediterranean ports with the Sahel and Sahara countries, reaching vast areas of West Africa, the report said.
“This project will connect seven countries with a total population of 360 million and will facilitate increased intra-African trade between six African nations,” it noted.
It said the economic zone would include Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mali, and Burkina Faso, with the possibility of extending to Mauritania and the Central African Republic.
“It is a project similar to China's strategic vision of reviving the Silk Road through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Algeria also possesses a historical legacy worth reviving: the ancient caravan route that connected Africa to Europe across the Sahara Desert centuries ago,” it said.
“Today, this project, along with the North-South Highway, will transform Algeria into an economic engine for the Sahel region, especially considering that five of the Sahel countries are landlocked and therefore need to import various goods through the ports.”
The Trans-Saharan Highway project was launched 15 years ago as an Algerian initiative when Algeria began upgrading National Route 1 and transforming it into an international African highway.
The railway connecting Algiers with the Sahel and Sahara region will contribute to economic prosperity in desert cities in Algeria, Niger, and Mali, with the potential to establish dry ports on the borders with landlocked countries, the report said.
“The next steps include the potential establishment of a free trade area between Algeria and Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic, with the possibility of other countries joining,” the report said.
(Writing by N Saeed; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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