Returning to the embrace of the African continent... Dbeibah inaugurates the headquarters of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States in Tripoli

The Libyan capital, Tripoli, witnessed on Saturday the reopening ceremony of the headquarters of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, after 15 years of it being moved outside the country due to the political and security events that followed the 2011 revolution.

The ceremony was presided over by the head of the Libyan Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and was attended by the foreign ministers of several African countries.

Libya had contributed to the establishment of the group in 1998 at the initiative of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, with the aim of achieving economic integration and regional security.

African Union System

Dbeibah considered the return of this grouping, which is one of the most important African blocs recognized within the African Union system, as a strategic step to enhance economic integration between the Sahel and Sahara countries.

He added: “We in the government have worked to create the conditions for the return of regional and international institutions to our country, in parallel with reconstruction and development efforts in various cities. This has also been reflected in the return of a large number of embassies and diplomatic missions to Tripoli, in a clear message of restoring confidence in the Libyan state.”.

Al-Dabaiba said, “The return of this grouping to Libya, which is one of the most important African blocs recognized within the African Union system, represents a strategic step to enhance economic integration between the Sahel and Sahara countries, which will contribute to strengthening cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, infrastructure, and supporting security coordination between our countries, and will help us to face common challenges, consolidate the foundations of stability in our region, and enhance the collective security of the countries of the continent.”.

Libya, a hub for joint African action

The head of the unity government concluded: “Libya, which has always been a haven for joint African action projects, today affirms its commitment to returning strongly to its African roots, and to working with its partners to achieve sustainable development and build a more prosperous future for our peoples.”.

According to Libyan media, this is expected to contribute to strengthening cooperation in the areas of trade, investment and infrastructure, and to support security coordination to confront common challenges and consolidate the foundations of stability in the region.

This opening comes after the completion of rehabilitation operations that included the development of the headquarters, in a step that reflects Libya’s support for strengthening its presence within regional frameworks.

The permanent headquarters of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States in Tripoli is one of the important headquarters for coordination between member states, which contributes to supporting joint cooperation in political, security and development issues.

The Community of Sahel-Saharan States is considered one of the regional blocs that aims to enhance cooperation between the countries of the region in facing common challenges, and the presence of a permanent headquarters in Tripoli constitutes an important addition to the course of joint regional action.