The Municipal Council of Zuwara has strongly condemned the events that unfolded at the Ras Ajdir border crossing with Tunisia late Monday night, squarely blaming the interim government of Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and authorities managing the border post for inciting unrest and chaos through what it described as “provocative acts.”
In a statement released on its official Facebook page on Tuesday, the council alleged that an armed force, purportedly acting under the pretext of law enforcement, stormed the border crossing without any prior coordination with the crossing administration or local authorities.
The council accused this force of verbally assaulting security personnel stationed at the crossing, as well as physically attacking some civilians. It further claimed that excessive force was used, including the firing of live ammunition that injured two residents from the nearby village of Ras Ajdir, sparking widespread anger and a violent backlash against the armed group.
“The council and local dignitaries immediately rushed to the scene to assess the situation firsthand and attempt to defuse tensions and prevent further escalation,” the statement read. “However, matters took an alarming turn when one of our council members was struck by gunfire from this force and had to be hospitalized, further exacerbating the volatile situation.”
Coordinating swiftly with municipal security forces, the council said it managed to regain control and “abort the sedition” thanks to the efforts of “good-intentioned individuals.” It confirmed that members of the armed force involved had been apprehended by local authorities and were in custody.
In a strongly-worded rebuke, the Zuwara council held the interim government and Interior Ministry “fully responsible for this systematic chaos, serving limited regional agendas that hide behind the structures of authority.”
The interim government has yet to issue an official response to the accusations leveled by the Zuwara municipality regarding the incident at the Ras Ajdir border post.