Tunisian soldier killed in Libya border attack
The killing of a Tunisian soldier on the country’s border with Libya may derail plans to reopen the Ras Ajdir border crossing, currently halted by Amazigh protests on the Libyan side. The border is increasingly becoming a haven for criminal and militant groups despite attempts to stabilise the region.
On June 26th, Tunisia’s Ministry of Defence announced that one of its soldiers was killed in an attack near the country’s border with Libya, according to AFP, and that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
The Tunisian soldier died when his patrol came under fire from an unknown source in the south-eastern province of Tataouine’s demilitarized border area.
Smugglers have long operated in the region’s vast and porous border areas, with Islamist groups also increasingly active in recent years.
Tunisia declared its southern border strip with Algeria and Libya a demilitarized zone in 2013, allowing entry only to those with permits issued by authorities.
The Tunisia-Libya border spans approximately 500km (311 miles) with only two land crossings, Ras Ajdir and Dehiba-Wazen, and a 250km buffer trench that was dug in 2015.
In a sign of increasing cooperation between administrations, Tunis and Tripoli announced the full reopening of the Ras Ajdir crossing by June 20th, as reported by Reuters.
The crossing was closed in mid-March after armed clashes with Libyan security forces and “outlaws.”
READ: Libya, Tunisia agree to reopen major border crossing
The reopening, however, has been cancelled due to roadblocks by Amazigh protestors and armed groups established on June 23rd, according to The National.
The tribal groups from the city of Zuwara have accused Libya’s Tripoli administration of racism; having excluded them from negotiations on the crossing’s reopening and removed them from their duties in the city due to their ethnicity.
AFP / Reuters / The National
