Evacuation Liaison Post for Ghanaians on Egypt-Libya border

Accra, March 1, GNA - Government has established an Evacuation Liaison Post at SALUM, a border post on the Egypt-Libya border, to coordinate the evacuation of Ghanaian citizens from Libya.

A statement from the Ministry of Information signed by Deputy Minister, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, said a six-member team including medical personnel from the 37 Military Hospital, National Security, and a journalist from the Ghana News Agency (GNA) would on Tuesday evening depart Accra for Cairo en route to SALUM.

The team is to augment the Evacuation Liaison Post which has since February 24, been manned by an advance party from the Ghana Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.

The statement said at the post, Ghanaians who arrived at the Egyptian border were processed and conveyed with the assistance of the International Organization for Immigration (IOM) and the Egyptian Security Agencies, to a pre-departure holding place at the Cairo International Airport.

"Both at SALUM and the Cairo International Airport, the Ghanaians are given food and water to sustain them, 93it added.

The statement said Government was making similar efforts for the Tunisia-Libya border whiles existing arrangements to airlift Ghanaians in Tripoli and other cities in Libya continued.

Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa said 95 Ghanaians were expected to arrive in Accra by Egypt Air at 1800 hours GMT on Tuesday.

This will be the second batch to arrive after the first group of 55 Ghanaians arrived on board a chartered Egypt Air flight on Saturday, February 26.

The statement said currently, another 125 persons had been processed and were at the Cairo International Airport awaiting movement to Ghana. Another 197 are currently being processed at the Ghana Evacuation Liaison Post at SALUM.

"We wish to thank all partners and Ghanaians who have supported government in this arduous but very important national and humanitarian assignment", the statement added.