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Tunisia disperses protesters demanding border crossing with Libya re-open

August 29, 2018 at 12:28 am

Libyan-Tunisian border – Flickr

On Monday evening, Tunisian security forces dispersed dozens of protesters in the town of Bengardan in the southern province of Medenine, who demanded the reopening of the Ras Ajdir border crossing with Libya.

According to the Anadolu correspondent, some protesters threw stones at the Security Centre in the area, and the security forces responded by dispersing them using tear gas.

The protesters later closed some of the crossroads in the city centre and burned rubber wheels.

In the same context, witnesses told Anadolu that the protesters raised slogans calling for the need to reopen the crossing and find effective development solutions in this border city.

Ras Ajdir crossing has been closed for more than a month and a half, as some Tunisian traders closed the road leading to the intersection in front of Libyan cars and trucks, except for ambulances.

Read: UN: Migrants rejected by Italy were tortured and raped in Libya

Tunisian traders closed the roads leading to the crossing as a way to protest against what they saw as the continuation of “restrictions” practised by the Libyan side on Tunisian traders.

The closure of the crossing completely disrupted trade between the two countries.

Most of the population of Bengardan border town is involved in trade with Libya across the land border, including Ras Ajdir.

A few days ago, the municipal council of Bengardan and its counterpart in the Libyan city of Zuwarah agreed to reopen the crossing in the next few days.

There are two border crossings between Tunisia and Libya; the first is “Ras Ajdir” crossing and the second is “Dehiba-Wazzin” crossing, located in the city of Dehiba, which belongs to the governorate of Tataouine (southeast).