Looking south
Expanding its logistics infrastructure. Algeria wants to improve its connections with the rest of Africa. In February the country announced plans to provide USD 1 billion in pan-continental economic development aid. Naturally enough, transport routes are also important elements of future integration.
One of the points in the overall political programme of Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was elected in 2019, is to end the focus of Algerian exports on oil and gas and on Europe.
Just 6% (average figure for 2017 – 2021) of all of the exports from Africa’s largest country by area are dispatched to other countries on the continent. Energy raw materials accounted for approximately three quarters of the figure.
Now Algeria’s national foreign trade promotion efforts are being fortified to show the pan-continental regions beyond its borders that it has more to offer. To this end the country is (co-)organising trade fairs for products ‘Made in Algeria’.
The second one of these meetings took place in Libya in February, following on from a first one in Mauritania in January. Algerian banks even opened branches there recently, to promote cross-border trade with its southern neighbour.
Mauritania a strategic neighbour
On top of this a contract was also signed last year with Mauritania to build a new road from Tindouf in southwestern Algeria to Zouérat in western Mauritania (see also page 17 of ITJ 11-12 / 2023). The 775 km connection, which will be built by Algerian companies, is currently subject to a feasibility study.
The Trans-Saharan Highway, in turn, which is projected to run across Niger to Lagos (Nigeria), is now completely paved in Algeria in the meantime.
Since February last year there has also been a shipping connection with Mauritania, initiated by Algiers. According to the country’s media the volume of goods isn’t sufficient yet to actually fill the monthly capacity on a regular basis.
On the ground, on the rails, in the air
In the railway segment, connections from the populous and economically strong north across the country to the south are being prioritised. This will connect raw material deposits, for example through the planned extension by 1,000 km of the line from Béchar to Tindouf, in order to transport iron ore from the Gara Djebilet mine there.
Aviation is also set to contribute to a stronger connections with the home continent. To this end state-owned Air Algérie is planning new routes, including options to and from Ethiopia, Gabon and South Africa, and is continuing to expand and modernise its fleet. In May it agreed to close cooperation with Mauritania Airlines. In addition to a commercial partnership this also provides for the maintenance of Mauritania Airlines aircraft in Algiers.