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AfrOil POLICY AfrOil

Egypt’s decision to demarcate

maritime borders angers Libya

EGYPT/LIBYA LIBYA’S Presidential Council has denounced Israel, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority
Egypt’s recent decision to demarcate its west- to form the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum
ern maritime borders, with council member (EMGF) in the hope of developing the region’s
Abdullah Lafi describing this move as a unilat- gas market.
eral action that violated sovereignty and stable Turkey, which signed its own maritime ter-
rules in international law. ritorial demarcation deal with Libya’s GNU
The potential for huge undersea natural gas in 2019 has been excluded from EMGF. The
discoveries and the right to drill in waters off the forum’s member states have not recognised this
coast of Egypt and Libya are prompting recrim- controversial accord.
inations between regional governments. Presidential elections in Libya, originally
Libya’s interim unity government in Trip- scheduled for December 2021, have been
oli rejected Egypt’s demarcation of the mari- delayed, leaving the country in political dead-
time borders several days ago and requested lock. It now has two governments supported by
that Cairo hold official talks between the two rival Libyan and international parties. ™
countries.
The eastern-based parliament in Tobruk
also rejected the Egyptian decision, calling it
unfair and a violation of Libyan sovereignty in
the waters of the Mediterranean because the
action was taken without previous consulta-
tions. Members of the legislative body said that
the talks should guarantee the mutual interests
of the two countries and address the principles
of the UN and the Laws of the Sea.
For his part, Al-Lafi said that Libya, like all
member states of the African Union, was com-
mitted to respecting the borders inherited from
the colonial period.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
decided in December last year to demarcate
Egypt’s western maritime borders in the Med-
iterranean. The country aims to become a
regional energy hub and to boost its natural gas
production. It has allied with Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and Libya signed a maritime border agreement in 2019 (Image: MFA.gov.tr)

Buhari signs $49bn budget, defers

Finance Bill due to conflict with PIA

NIGERIA NIGERIA’S President Muhammadu Buhari has Buhari also signed the 2022 supplementary
signed the NGN21.83 trillion ($49bn) budget appropriation bill, which will enable the gov-
for 2023, the final annual budget bill of his pres- ernment to address the damage caused by recent
idency, This Day has reported. nationwide floods, which took a heavy toll on
The 2023 budget, passed by the National infrastructure and agriculture.
Assembly on December 28, contains provisions During the ceremony at the Council Cham-
for the funding of this year’s general election and bers at the State House, Buhari expressed con-
shows a 19.8% increase from the NGN17.13 tril- cern over the high level of borrowing in the
lion ($38bn) approved for 2022. budget and the need to address the issue of rev-
In addition to signing the 2023 budget, enue generation.

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