It's a road that will link six African nations, improving transport and delivering high-speed internet across the continent. And at In Guezzam, on the border between Algeria and Niger, the last section of what's been called the African Unity Road is nearing completion.
Conceived over 50 years ago, the Trans-Saharan Highway runs
almost 5,000 kilometres from Algiers to Lagos in Nigeria. Its goal is to
strengthen regional integration and promote trade between the north and south
of the Sahara.
An artery for Algeria
"The Trans-Saharan is an economic artery for Algeria in
the framework of free trade," says Fayçal Amrouche, Wali of In-Guezzam.
"First and foremost it will bring economic benefits and also social
benefits for the whole population, which is expecting a lot from it.
"Overall, the residents of In-Guezzam are pleased with
this seven-kilometre stretch of road, which is the last section of the African
Unity Road on the border with Niger," adds Brahim Ben Khia, President of
the Popular Assembly in the Wilaya of In-Guezzam. "It's a construction
that's built to international standards."
From Saharan dunes to high plateaus to the capital Algiers,
National Road 1, as it's known in Algeria, crosses the country in all its
diversity and links remote areas, such as Tamanrasset, the historic meeting
place of nomadic caravans, and still a commercial hub, 1900 kilometres from
Algiers.
"The Wilaya of Tamanrasset is a crossroads of all
African civilisations," says Noureddine Guellal, Director Of Public Works
and Wilaya of Tamanrasset. "Barter transactions have increased in recent
years. The list of products to be exported and imported is revised each year
according to our needs and those of our neighbours."
To cope with this influx, existing sections are being
modernised. Following technical studies which took into account the difficult
Saharan conditions, their load capacity and width are being increased to ensure
safe passage for trucks.
"The RN1 is the main artery between Europe and North
Africa," says truck driver Louzri Abderrezak. "Without the RN1, we're
done for!"
Internet Cable Backbone
But it's not just roads that connect people. There's also
the internet. This road is lined with thousands of kilometres of cable as part
of another multinational project: the Trans-Saharan Fibre Optic Backbone.
These technical centres maintain the bandwidth, which has
almost doubled over the past two years.
"These are the incoming fibre strands of the
trans-Saharan backbone," Bilel Bouglouf, Director Of Post And
Telecommunications in the Wilaya Of Tamanrasset, show me. "Their exit
towards the borders is through here. Thanks to this trans-Saharan fibre optic
backbone, there's the same internet speed in Algiers as in Tamanrasset."
The Internet is changing daily life in this large southern
city. Credit cards are becoming more widely used in shops. In schools,
touch-screen tablets are given to students to encourage creativity and
autonomy.
"The arrival of fibre optics has enabled the creation
of digital schools," says Ibtissem Merahi, Director of the Abdelkrim El
Meghili Primary Boarding School. "This has had a huge impact on pupils'
education."
Algeria has completed its part of the fibre optic backbone,
more than 2,500 kilometres from Algiers towards Mauritania to a central hub on
the border with Niger.
Six African countries are members of the project, which is
intended to offer a cheaper alternative to satellite solutions.
"This project will also enable access to the
international market for countries that have no coastline, no access to the sea
and no submarine cable," says Mourad El-Allia Secretary General
Trans-Saharan Liaison Committee. "It allows start-ups and innovation to
emerge, and also allows women to showcase their work. It also enables distance
learning. It allows us to contribute to the digital development of our African
nations."
Another major cooperation project could see the light of day
on the same axis: a trans-Saharan gas pipeline between Nigeria and Algeria via
Niger.
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