Libya, Chad Agree to Secure Borders to Stop Human Trafficking

Najla al-Manqoush and her Chadian counterpart on the sidelines of the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Libya)
Najla al-Manqoush and her Chadian counterpart on the sidelines of the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Libya)
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Libya, Chad Agree to Secure Borders to Stop Human Trafficking

Najla al-Manqoush and her Chadian counterpart on the sidelines of the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Libya)
Najla al-Manqoush and her Chadian counterpart on the sidelines of the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Libya)

Libya’s Foreign Minister Najla al-Manqoush discussed with her Chadian counterpart Sherif Mohamed Zein possible ways to secure the borders between their countries to prevent security breaches and confront the human trafficking groups.

Manqoush and Zein held a meeting Saturday on the sidelines of the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul.

They agreed that the security of Libya is an integral part of Chad’s security, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Libya. They therefore, stressed the importance of working hand in hand to prevent any security violations, stop smuggling and confront human trafficking groups.

The Ministry added that the two ministers discussed the possibility of forming a joint force to protect the borders, in coordination with the relevant parties in Libya and Chad.

Manqoush stated that the security at the borders represents a priority to the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Head of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi had in mid-Nov in Paris discussed with President of the Chadian Transitional Military Council Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby coordinating security cooperation efforts, monitoring the shared borders, and increasing coordination in combating terrorism and organized crime.

In another meeting with Vice President of the Libyan Presidential Council Moussa al-Koni, Déby suggested reactivating the Quartet Agreement comprising Libya, Sudan, Chad, and Niger through forming a joint military force on the borders with Libya.

The aim is to prevent the infiltration of insurgent groups, similar to what happened in April and that led to the killing of his father.

Insurgents, centered on the borders with Libya, killed President Idriss Déby days after he secured a sixth term in office.



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)
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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.