Tripoli, 10 November 2013:
The historic border town of Ghadames welcomed a high-profile delegation from Tripoli last week, including the Maltese and Dutch Ambassadors, and the Portuguese Charge d’Affairs.
During the trip, which was organised by Ghadames Town Council and the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM Libya), discussions were held with the local authority and security officials, as well as representatives from civil society and women’s organisations.
An ancient caravan stopping-point, the Old City of Ghadames is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is also located in an area known as the Triangle, where Libya, Tunisia and Algeria meet. Since the revolution, the lack of border security has been putting off visitors, who previously brought the town much of its revenue.
“It is no secret that the Triangle is a danger area,” head of Ghadames Local Council, Siraj Addedn Abobakr Almwaffag, said. “In this respect we believe that not enough attention was given to our situation by the central government.” He pointed to border control and the direct consequences that trafficking and smuggling have on the community as crucial issues.
“We need technical support to monitor the border, logistical support for specialised units, and more training,” Almwaffag said. He added that, with shared humanitarian values based on the Rule of Law, the town council believed the right way to fight illegal trafficking and illegal immigration was to deliver good values and justice.”
Alongside the field trip, EUBAM Libya held workshops and seminars on risk analysis – a follow-up to training held in September – for 27 officers from police, border guards and customs, including eight female officers. The training also involved practical activities, including a car-search exercise.
EUBAM Libya began work in May 2013, on the invitation of the Libyan Government. The mission mentors, trains and advises Libyans working in areas of border security to help strengthen Libya’s land, sea and air borders. [/restrict]
