Libya reopens key Tunisia border crossing after three months

Ras Jedir, Libya — AFP

Libya reopened its Ras Jedir border crossing with Tunisia, the key transit point between the countries, three months after it was shut down due to smuggling-related armed clashes.

A ceremony organised in this respect at the crossing was attended by both countries’ interior ministers alongside other officials.

The border crossing was closed on March 19 with Libyan authorities vowing to “ensure the security of the borders and combat crime and smuggling”.

Considered vital for Tunisians and Libyans in the region alike, it had long operated under the sway of local Libyan armed groups.

After authorities decided to take charge of the crossing earlier this year, clashes broke out on the Libyan side between security forces and armed groups.

During a press conference in Ras Jedir on Monday, Tunisian Interior Minister Khaled Nouri expressed hope that the reopening “will have a positive impact on the populations of the neighbouring regions”.

The border post in the desert area of Ras Jedir, about 170 kilometres from the Libyan capital Tripoli, is the main crossing point between the two North African countries.

People in neighbouring towns have mainly made their living from cross-border trade — and smuggling.

The crossing’s reopening, set to take place last month, was delayed when armed groups from the Libyan city of Zuwara, a few dozen kilometres east of the border, erected barricades on the coastal route to protest measures announced by Libyan authorities.

“The interior ministries of the two countries will no longer allow border crossings to be exploited for arms and drug trafficking,” Libyan Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi said.