Libya demands the release of its citizens detained in Chad

Libya’s eastern-based Foreign Ministry has moved swiftly to respond to the detention of several Libyan citizens in Chad, announcing the creation of an emergency crisis cell amid reports of serious violations against those held, as reported by the Libya Review on December 31. Officials say the new body is already actively pursuing diplomatic and legal avenues to secure the detainees’ release and ensure their safety.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which operates under the House of Representatives, confirmed that the crisis cell held an urgent initial meeting chaired by the foreign minister. Senior officials and representatives from relevant departments took part in the session, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the government’s intent to act without delay.

The reported events at the border have also prompted action at the local level in Libya, where authorities in Kufra Municipality announced the suspension of truck traffic to and from Chad following the reports that Libyan citizens were kidnapped and tortured, as reported by The Libya Observer on December 31.

Municipal officials described the measure as a temporary and precautionary step, to remain in place until assurances are given regarding the safety of those abducted. In a statement, the municipality condemned the attack as a “clear violation of human rights” and called on Chad to take full responsibility for protecting Libyans within its borders. This is not the first time that disputes surrounding illicit activity on the border of Libya and Chad has lead to the restrictions of movement between the two countries.

Elite units of the Libyan National Army (LNA) were deployed to the southern border with Chad in July this year. The move, announced by the LNA’s War Information Division, was aimed at strengthening border security and countering smuggling and organised crime networks. The operation targeted a Chadian militia and with the aim of resolving ongoing security threats in the area as part of broader efforts by Libya’s eastern-based authorities to assert control over its porous southern frontier.

The Kufra province in southeastern Libya has increasingly become a flashpoint for illicit cross-border activity, shaped by its strategic location next to the borders with Sudan and Chad. An airstrip near Kufrah that was largely derelict until this year has been renovated and has seen dozens of cargo flights linked to supplying Sudan’s UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF), transforming the area into a critical logistics hub for the RSF in Sudan’s civil war.

These operations exploited lightly monitored corridors in the desert and drew on existing smuggling and trafficking networks in LNA-controlled territory, illustrating how the province has been woven into wider regional conflicts and transnational smuggling networks.

Libya Review, The Libya Observer, Maghrebi.org