Derna_ As a part of reconstructing Derna, the city in eastern Libya that was devastated by Storm Daniel in the middle of the night on 10 September 2023, the bridge of Wadi Marqus (Marquis Valley) in the Athrun area at the western entrance of the city was opened on Thursday. Hoping that the rebuilding of the country has begun and will not stop.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Agila Saleh called on all Libyans to adopt and strength the values of solidarity and tolerance, reject grudges and hatred, while embracing self-denial in order to prepare for a better future.
The bridge was one of many thousands of buildings that were destroyed in Derna and other neighboring cities by Storm Daniel and are now being rebuilt according to most modern standards of engineering. Many observers believe that the success of reconstruction of Derna would set an example to other endeavors aiming at rebuilding Libya as a whole.
The project was carried out by the Egyptian Arab Contractors Company which has landed a number of big reconstruction projects in eastern Libya and in the capital city of Tripoli.
The person who is quietly leading the drive for reconstructing Derna and the surrounding regions is engineer Belqasim Khalifa Haftar, the Director General of the Development and Reconstruction Fund of Libya (DRFL).
Belqasim Hafter said at the opening of the bridge, “It is not just a bridge connecting the two banks of the valley. Rather, it is a symbol of the will to live and the renaissance that we seek to achieve after the natural catastrophe caused by Storm Daniel.”
“Wadi Markos is part of Libya’s ancient history, linking the coast and the interior, passing through fertile lands, and used by many communities and a caravan route. This project is the beginning of its revival,” he continued.
“This bridge and other projects represent a clear message that Libya is capable of rising again, and that it is determined to rebuild its infrastructure and achieve development, he added.
It remains that both local and foreign observers will closely monitor the level of success in rebuilding Derna according to highest modern standards. In Libya, this success will mean that there is hope the dream to rebuild the country can very well come true after many decades of despair. This will also raise the confidence in the DRFL’s team, as a newly established administrative body with uneasy task, and to be counted on to carry out the reconstruction drive. Moreover, foreign powers involved in the Libyan internal affairs could get less pessimistic as to the Libyan people’s capabilities, resolve and future.
Following the opening, the officials toured the city of Derna and observed firsthand the progress of work in many projects including the city’s boardwalk along the coast; the Sahaba Mosque project, which was damaged in the flood, the 2,000 housing unit project and the Derna University Complex and its theater.