There were reports late last night/early this morning of armed clashes between government security personnel and local armed forces from Zuwara on the Libyan side of the Ras Jedir border crossing with Tunisia. Reports say the Tunisian authorities closed the crossing from the Tunisian side.
Blowback to Tripoli’s attempt to control the border
The armed clashes are seen as a blowback to the Tripoli based central government of western Libya’s attempt to impose its control on the main Libyan-Tunisian border crossing.
Yesterday, the Acting Tripoli based Minister of Interior, Emad Trabelsi, assigned the Law Enforcement Department for Security Operations to go to the Ras Jdair border crossing, ‘‘to support the Security Directorate and the security services in combating smuggling, security violations, and negative phenomena, to manage the movement of passengers and maintain the security of the border crossing.’’
Explaining the move in a statement, the Ministry of Interior said it had ordered the closure of the border crossing ‘‘after outlaw groups attacked the crossing, in order to cause chaos and confusion in its operations as a result of preventing the violations (smuggling) that occur and which the weak souls who practice these jobs (smugglers) see as an acquired right.
These instructions were taken to put in place security arrangements to restore the border crossing to work by the competent agencies. We will not allow chaos as the crossing must be under the authority and legitimacy of the state.
This action carried out by these outlaw groups will not be tolerated, and legal measures and the most severe penalties will be taken against those involved. The security services that were assigned to secure the crossing were to prevent smuggling, combat crime, and security violations that occur in order for work at the port to proceed smoothly and without obstruction, and to alleviate the suffering of travellers, as it is a vital crossing that concerns all Libyans, and it does not have the right to be subject to specific groups, cities, or regions, and there must be rule and enforcement of the law.’’
Central Arab v local Amazigh control?
The Interior Ministry was referring to the view held by locals from the nearby city of Zuwara, who ethnically are overwhelmingly non-Arab Amazighs, that the border crossing should be under the control of their local militias. The central government in Tripoli wants what it considers as a national border crossing under the state control of the Interior Ministry.
Tripoli government fighting smuggling
The border crossing is famous over the decades for being a very active smuggling point for Libya’s subsidised goods – including fuel. The Tripoli government, with inflation, rising prices, shrinking purchasing power, Libyan dinar devaluation and a shortage of hard currency (used to import subsidised fuels), is keen to reduce the smuggling of subsidised goods or goods imported using hard currency.
