Eight tractors from the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on Friday arrived at the Banjul International Airport.  

They were received by the Libyan diplomat in The Gambia and a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a cross section of the Libyan community such as Lotfi H Ezlitni, the consular of the Arab Jamahiriya. ‘‘This gesture is meant to complement The Gambia government’s efforts to attain food self-sufficiency,’’ the Libyan diplomat remarked. Speaking to journalists after the arrival of the tractors, Professor Ali-Muhammed Dukaly Ali-Hissnawe, the Ambassador of Libya, said the aim of the Jamahiriya is to make Africa an agricultural continent, to help alleviate poverty.

He further pointed out that the provision of these tractors for The Gambia is part of the agreement between the two nations which was made when the Foreign Affairs SoS of The Gambia travelled to Libya. ‘‘This is part of our contribution to the development of The Gambia,’’ the Libyan Diplomat indicated. They will, he also revealed, be paying salaries for 20 (twenty) Vietnamese experts for two years.

For his part, Habib TB Jarra, the director of International Co-operation at the Department of State for Foreign Affairs, hailed the Jamahiriya for complementing the government’s efforts in the fight against poverty. He also  added  that the gesture is a clear manifestation of the co-operation between the two countries and noted that tractors will boost the agricultural sector.