Libya closes borders to stop unrest, migrants
Libya's ruling national congress has ordered the temporary closure of its borders with four of its neighbours and declared its vast desert south a closed military zone in the face of growing unrest and immigration.
The national assembly ordered the "temporary closure of the land borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan and Algeria pending new regulations", a decree carried by the official LANA news agency said.
It added that the provinces of Ghadames, Ghat, Obari, al-Shati, Sabha, Murzuq and Kufra "are considered as closed military zones".
The decree also gave the defence ministry powers to appoint a military governor, from outside the area, with authority to arrest fugitives from justice and deport illegal immigrants.
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan returned from a regional tour last week, during which he called for a meeting in Libya with Niger, Mali, Chad and Sudan to secure regional borders.
Several southern members of the congress have boycotted sessions recently in protest against lawlessness plaguing the south, citing increased violence by armed groups there as well as drug trafficking.
"This decision shows that the congress understands the situation in the south, where the security is bad," Mohamed Menawi Al-Houdhiery, a congress member from Sabha, told Reuters.
Earlier this month, nearly 200 prisoners escaped from a jail in Sabha, which has also seen tribal clashes since the end of last year's war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi.
Restoring order in the south is not only important internally for Libya but also for stability in the wider region.
In the chaos that followed Gaddafi's fall, the south was used as a smuggling route for weapons reaching al Qaeda in the Sahara.
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Charles W. Sammut
Dec 17th 2012, 17:27
It seems that the E.U. is not interested in stemming the flow of illegal immigrants crossing into Libya and eventually into Europe. I am sure that Brussels has its own agenda for this stance.
On the other hand, the USA, half a world away, is doing what it can to help the Libyans secure their borders.
http://www.krgv.com/news/libyan-delegation-learns-about-border-security-in-the-valley/
Ronnie Callus
Dec 17th 2012, 15:52
Ta' l-EU dan li messhom jghamlu biex jaqbdu l-barri minn qruna u mhux jilghabu bina bil-'FRONTEX' u l-emigranti xorta jidhlu f'pajjizna qieshom pastizzi, imbaghad wara jkun hemm xi hadd jehdilna xi nofs tuzzana.Jekk mhux tad-dahk dan x'tista tghidlu izjed Sur.Gvern.
J Micallef
Dec 17th 2012, 12:22
Wait a sec....are they trying to keep people in or trying to keep people out?
Alfred Falzon
Dec 17th 2012, 09:56
The unsettled and highly volatile South, a huge territory covering thousands of square kilometres, needs to be controlled and the Libyan Government has taken the right decision to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, many of whom could be fugitives from the law or drug pushers.
Europe should offer a helping hand in stemming this flow of illegal crossings.
Alfred A Falzon
Bill Khan
Dec 18th 2012, 13:49
@ Alfred Falzon
Find it very strange that the border closer has anything to do with illegal immgrants. The flow of immigrants into Europe will not stop.It is not in the interest of the elite of Europe to stem the flow for wage control. Drugs were once forced upon the chinese by Brtish, french and the US for years. The three atacked and invaded china when it tried to close its borders to drugs.
Charles W. Sammut
Dec 17th 2012, 09:38
Europe can help Libya control illegal traffic, be it of humans, weapons or drugs. Establish an effective blockade of Libya's Mediterranean coast and only allow legitimate marine traffic through. Once that happens, the flow across Libya's southern borders will dry up.
So don't blame the Libyans. Blame Europe for attracting and permitting illegal traffic.
Rocco Camilleri
Dec 17th 2012, 08:44
Hopefully this is a good way forward. This should decrees illegal immigrants coming from Libya.
Joseph Cini
Dec 17th 2012, 10:34
Decrease
Mr Henry A. Grima
Dec 17th 2012, 11:20
Troppo tardi; there's already tens of thousands of them in Libya.
It would have been better if Libya closed it's northern borders as well.
Ronnie Callus
Dec 17th 2012, 15:06
Thanks Mr.Cini typing error.( large fingers).
carlos ellul
Dec 17th 2012, 08:22
Well done libya. Its time to seriously stop illegal immigration
William Spencer
Dec 17th 2012, 20:46
As Henry A Grima has said, its okay to close its southern borders to stop illegals sneaking in, now its time to close the northern borders to stop illegals sneaking out !!
Please choose the reason of your report below: