Libyan Interior Minister in the Government of National Unity (GNU), Imad Trabelsi, has emphasized that Libya will not tolerate or allow the exploitation of border crossings for smuggling fuel, drugs, and weapons.
He confirmed that efforts are underway to organize other border crossings between the two countries in the coming period.
Trabelsi, alongside his Tunisian counterpart Khaled Nouri, oversaw the reopening of the Ras Ajdir border crossing between Libya and Tunisia on Monday.
During a press conference, Trabelsi stated, “We will not accept or allow the exploitation of crossings for smuggling fuel, drugs, and weapons. The other crossings between the two countries will be organized soon to facilitate movement.”
He clarified that the reopening of the crossing was preceded by securing the borders, in collaboration with the Libyan Army and the Tunisian National Guard.
Trabelsi expressed readiness to work and cooperate with the Libyan Armed Forces led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya to secure the southern borders with Chad, Niger, and Sudan.
The crossing was initially opened on June 13 for humanitarian, urgent, and diplomatic cases, with a plan to open it to the public on June 20. However, the route leading to the crossing was closed by protesters in recent days, delaying the reopening.
The government reached an understanding with protesters from the border town of Zuwara, allowing the reopening to proceed.
Ras Ajdir is the main land crossing for citizens and trade between Libya and Tunisia. It is located in western Libya near the coastal city of Zuwara and had previously experienced a prolonged closure from the Libyan side for more than three months.
In March, a security dispute involving gunfire between military and security forces from Zuwara and the Law Enforcement Administration led to the Ministry of Interior withdrawing its personnel from the Security Directorate of the crossing, the police station, and the Passport and Nationality Authority.
This resulted in the closure of the crossing, causing economic repercussions, especially for the cities closest to the crossing on both sides.
In previous statements, the Libyan Interior Minister accused local gangs of smuggling subsidized fuel from Libya to Tunisia via the crossing.
He tasked the Law Enforcement Administration with securing the crossing before announcing a joint force and security room consisting of army and police forces to manage the security of the area.
