The closure of the main border crossing between Libya and Tunisia, decided on Tuesday, will be extended until the "trafficking" that passes through with the complicity of armed groups is brought to an end, announced a Libyan minister.
The Ras Jedir border crossing © LUN
The closure of the main border crossing between Libya and Tunisia, decided on Tuesday, will be extended until the "trafficking" that passes through with the complicity of armed groups is brought to an end, announced a Libyan minister.
"We need to secure the borders and combat crime and trafficking," emphasized the Interior Minister of the Tripoli government, Imad Trabelsi, during a press conference late Thursday night. Authorities will not back down "against drug traffickers and smugglers," he added.
The Ras Jedir border crossing, in northwest Libya, about 170 kilometers west of Tripoli, considered by Mr. Trabelsi as "one of the largest points of smuggling and crime in the world," has been closed since Tuesday.
Mr. Trabelsi stated that the border crossing had become in recent years a hub for smuggling, especially of gasoline, to Tunisia, and drugs in the form of amphetamines in the opposite direction.
The "Law Enforcement Force," attached to his ministry, dispatched on Monday to Ras Jedir to stop smugglers and ensure the safety of travelers, was targeted by "outlawed armed groups." It had to withdraw to "preserve lives and property," he explained.
Traffickers, mainly from the Libyan city of Zuwara, have controlled the border crossing for years, considering it their domain and enabling them to engage in highly profitable informal trade.
Both sides in Sudan's civil war have committed abuses on a large scale which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity, a U.N.-mandated mission said on Friday, recommending an arms embargo and a peacekeeping force to protect civilians.
Tunisian presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel was released from police custody on Friday shortly after he was set free from a previous detention then re-arrested over alleged election-related irregularities, the state news agency TAP reported.
Egypt's central bank as expected left its overnight interest rates on hold on Thursday, saying inflation pressures had subsided but that economic growth had softened.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.