عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Libya, Sudan, Chad Agree to Secure Borders

Libyan Delegation discussing with Chadian delegation border security (Presidential Council)
Libyan Delegation discussing with Chadian delegation border security (Presidential Council)
TT
TT

Libya, Sudan, Chad Agree to Secure Borders

Libyan Delegation discussing with Chadian delegation border security (Presidential Council)
Libyan Delegation discussing with Chadian delegation border security (Presidential Council)

Libya, Sudan, and Chad agreed to exert more efforts to secure their borders to prevent the spread of crimes and curb illegal immigration.

Deputy Head of the Libyan Presidential Council Mossa al-Koni announced after an African tour, which included Sudan and Chad, that he discussed with senior officials all issues relating to joint borders.

Koni noted that Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, along with the ministers and officials, expressed their desire to resolve illegal immigration, border security, and fight armed groups that violate Sudanese and Libyan laws.

In a press conference held Thursday upon his arrival in Tripoli, he said that the countries agreed to draw a practical road map to curb security breaches and criminal actions.

Koni touched on his discussions with Commander of the Chadian Military Council Mohammed Idriss Deby, which addressed the infiltration of Chadian rebels into Libyan territory.

They agreed on the necessity of removing the Chadian armed factions from Libyan territory, reported Libyan News Agency (LANA).

Koni confirmed that he had discussed with the Chadian side returning the General Secretariat of Community of Sahel–the Saharan States to Tripoli.

Deby suggested reviving the quadripartite agreement by forming a joint military force on the border with Libya to prevent the incursion of rebel groups.

A quartet agreement, signed by Libya, Chad, Niger, and Sudan in May 2018, stipulates the deployment of forces to secure the joint border and combat cross-border crimes and illegal immigration.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Survivors, Bodies Recovered from Capsized Red Sea Tourist Boat

25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)
25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)
TT
TT

Survivors, Bodies Recovered from Capsized Red Sea Tourist Boat

25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)
25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)

Rescuers on Tuesday recovered five survivors and four bodies from a dive boat that capsized off Egypt's eastern coast a day earlier, Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi said.  

A military-led team rescued two Belgians, one Swiss national, one Finnish tourist and one Egyptian, the governor said, bringing the total number of survivors from the accident to 33.  

The "Sea Story" had been carrying 31 tourists of multiple nationalities and a 13-member crew when it was hit by a large wave near Marsa Alam in southeastern Egypt early on Monday, causing it to capsize.

The four bodies recovered on Tuesday have not yet been identified, and eight people are still missing after 28 were rescued on Monday.

A government source close to rescue operations said the five survivors were found on Tuesday morning inside the boat, which the governor said had been thrown on its side by an early morning wave but had not completely sunk.  

The group had spent at least 24 hours in the overturned vessel after authorities first received distress calls at 5:30 AM (0330 GMT) on Monday.  

"Rescue operations are ongoing today, supported by a military helicopter and a frigate in addition to multiple divers," the Red Sea governor told AFP Tuesday, declining to provide any further details about the operation.  

The four bodies recovered on Tuesday were also located inside the stricken vessel.  

The boat had embarked on a multi-day diving trip on Sunday and had been due to dock on Friday at the town of Hurghada, 200 kilometers (124 miles) north.  

The governor on Monday said it capsized "suddenly and quickly within 5-7 minutes" of the impact with the wave, leaving some passengers -- among them European, Chinese and American tourists -- unable to set out of their cabins in time.  

- Still missing -  

Rescuers from the military and a passing tourist boat pulled 28 people from the water on Monday.  

According to a source at a hospital in Marsa Alam, six tourists and three Egyptians were admitted with minor injuries and discharged on Monday.   

According to the governor's office, the boat was carrying tourists from Belgium, Britain, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.  

Among the missing are two Polish tourists and one from Finland, according to both countries' foreign ministries.  

Authorities in Egypt have said the vessel was fully licensed and had passed all inspection checks. A preliminary investigation showed no technical fault.  

There were at least two similar boat accidents in the Marsa Alam area earlier this year, but no fatalities.  

The Red Sea coast is a major tourist destination in Egypt, a country of 107 million that is in the grip of a serious economic crisis.  

Nationally, the tourism sector employs two million people and generates more than 10 percent of its GDP.  

Dozens of dive boats crisscross between Red Sea coral reefs and islands off Egypt's eastern coast every day, where safety regulations are robust but unevenly enforced.