Illicit business boosts Chad-Sudan-Libya borderlands

Subject

Developments in the triangle of Libya, Chad and Sudan.

Significance

The rival governments in northern Libya have had little capacity to increase law and order in the south of the country, in particular in southern Fezzan and around Kufra. The governments of Chad and Sudan have repeatedly said that rebels from Chad and from Sudan’s Darfur region have been operating in southern Libya.

Impacts

• The increase in artisanal gold mining could boost cross-border economic activity.
• Low density and large distances mean that Chad and Sudan will find it uneconomic to build infrastructure in the Libyan border region.
• The abuse of migrants attempting to cross from Chad and Sudan to Libya will continue.