By Ashraf Abdul-Wahab.
Tripoli, 4 February 2014:
Long queues of cars have built up on the Libyan side of . . .[restrict]the boarder with Tunisia at the southern Wazen-Dehiba crossing over the past three days because of the closure of the coastal Ras Jedir route to Libyan traffic entering Tunisia. According to local Tunisian security sources quoted by the Tunisian news agency TAP, over 1,000 people a day, mostly Libyans have been using the crossing. It is more than double the usual figure.
The closure of the Ras Jedir crossing by the Tunisians follows disturbances on their side after the Libyan authorities arrested a number of suspected Tunisian smugglers.
According to a Libyan Protocol Office Commander at Ras Jedir, Fathi Emhemed, alleged Tunisian smugglers from Ben Guardane were arrested after being caught transporting food and petrol across the border. This then led to their families and colleagues in the town, the first on the main road after entering Tunisia, attacking Libyan-registered vehicles and trying to force Libyans back across the border.
The Ras Jedir crossing remains open to Tunisian traffic in either direction and to Libyans returning from Tunisia.
The crossing was closed last year on several occasions, usually because of smuggling. The last time was in December. [/restrict]
