Work progresses on three forest roads

Work is progressing well in the building of three forest roads in the Republic of Congo, the government has reported. An inter-ministerial committee meeting held on Saturday in the capital, Brazzaville, reviewed progress in completing the roads linking Owando-Makoua Mambili; Ouesso-Liwouesso-Mambili, and Dougou-Bognele, in Likouala, in the north-central part of the country. As at 30 August, 40 km of the 72-km Owando-Makoua had been completed to the village of Okokobo, and 170 km of the 242-km route from Ouesso-Liwouesso-Mambili. The government did not specify the surface nature of the roads, for which it is paying the local equivalent of at least US $3.1 million dollars to build. The country covers an area of 342,000 square km and has a population of 2.9 million. [For government story in French]