Benghazi – Wednesday | 4 February 2026 On 3 February 2026, His Excellency Ambassador Abdulsalam Al-Raqiaei, Director of the Department of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, received at the Ministry’s headquarters His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Niger to Libya, Mr. Amadou Mohamed Ousmane, accompanied by the Embassy Counselor, Mr. Moussa Taher. The meeting was attended by the Acting Director of the Consular Affairs Department, along with a number of officials from the Department of African Affairs. At the outset of the meeting, Ambassador Al-Raqiaei welcomed the Nigerien Ambassador, expressing his appreciation for the visit and affirming the depth of the strong bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries. Ambassador Al-Raqiaei highlighted Libya’s importance as a transit country for the Republic of Niger, referring to the road project linking the city of Sirte with the Republic of Niger, which is being implemented by the National Development Agency. He noted the strategic significance of this project in facilitating transit trade between Niger and the landlocked countries of Central Africa, thereby contributing to enhanced economic development and regional integration. He also stressed that the project enjoys special attention from the General Command of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces. He further emphasized the importance of regulating the entry of labor into Libya, particularly in light of the forthcoming opening of the two consulates in Benghazi and Sabha, underscoring the need to work toward signing an agreement to regulate the recruitment of Nigerien labor in a legal and organized manner. For his part, the Nigerien Ambassador expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the warm reception, reaffirming the depth of relations between the two countries. He explained that his visit comes within the framework of following up on the procedures for opening the two consulates in Benghazi and Sabha, noting that the consulate in Sabha requires some maintenance work, and proposing the opening of a temporary consulate in Benghazi until a permanent premises is selected.