Tunisia and Libya to reopen Ras Jedir border crossing

Tunisia and Libya agreed on Monday to reopen the Ras Jedir border crossing, which has been closed for more than a month, Tunisia’s TAP news agency reported.

The crossing will reopen next Sunday and require that Tunisian vehicles reveal their annual inspection and insurance documents when crossing into Libya.

Tunisian and Libyan security officials, including the governor of the Tunisian Medenine city bordering Libya, and representatives of civil society met in Libya last week to discuss de-escalating the crisis and reopening the Ras Jedir border crossing.

The Tunisian and Libyan sides agreed on reopening the crossing and establishing a common security committee to oversee the general situation in the border region between Tunisia and Libya, working to ensure the free movement of citizens from both countries.

The Libyan authorities closed the crossing on 25 February citing security reasons.

The decision triggered a wave of protests in the Tunisian city of Ben Guerdane near the border, with residents saying that the closure harms their trading activity in the region.

The city entered into a general strike on Monday to demand the reopening of the crossing and the start of development projects there.