Luanda — The construction of the Trans-Saharan road and installation of a gas pipeline in the Sahara region were highlighted Tuesday in Luanda by the Algerian ambassador to Angola, Kamel Boughaba, as one of the levers for the African continent, under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

Speaking to Angop, Kamel Boughaba said the construction of the Trans-Saharan road, proposed by its country in 1962 linking the cities of Alger (Algeria) and Abuja (Nigeria), across Mali and Niger, is one of the levers for the integration of the African continent, as it starts from the northern part of the continent stretching to some West African countries.

According to him, the project is expected to reach N'Djamena (Chad) in order to facilitate trade in one of the largest regions of the continent and enable its development.

He added that encouraged by his country, particularly president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in cooperation with several other countries, NEPAD decisively engaged the continent in the path of economic and social development.

Kamel Boughaba also mentioned the project of installation of the gas pipeline that will link Nigeria, Niger and Algeria, including the construction, along its course, of a line of optic cables that will secure the transportation of information.

To the Algerian ambassador, the gas pipeline, whose installation accord was signed on July 3, 2009 in Abuja (Nigeria), in addition to conveying gas from Nigeria to Algeria, will enable the creation of job for the populations of the countries along the infrastructure, that will also benefit from electricity and other facilities.

According to the agreement, the gas pipeline will start from the Niger Delta, the oil producing zone south of Nigeria, covering more thant 4,000 kilometres of Niger and Algeria, to supply Europ with hydrocarbons. The undertaking is estimated at Usd 10 billion, the source also said.

Under NEPAD too, the diplomat said, a satellite network will be installed for scientific research into the evolution of drought in the Sahel region and prevention of floods and other natural disasters in the African continent.

He said that his country is working on this project with South Africa and Nigeria.

The ambassador said as well that his country has been fighting for NEPAD as a merely economic project to be integrated in the structures of the African Union, for which a steering committee has been appointed to follow up the AU initiatives in the economic domain.