Ras Jedir border crossing sees improved flow after hundreds of Tunisians stranded for days

Mostafa Abdelkebir, president of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights OTDH, publicly alerted authorities to the difficulties faced by travelers since Sunday, August 2, 2026. He reported that many Tunisians were stuck on the Libyan side for several days, unable to enter Tunisia, with some enduring challenging conditions due to heat and lack of basic services. Photos and videos widely shared on social media corroborated these accounts, showing long lines of vehicles and travelers immobilized for hours or even days.

Abdelkebir described the situation as "worrying" on Sunday, noting that some had been blocked for over three days in summer heat without permission to cross. On Monday, he continued to receive calls from stranded travelers, including elderly individuals, who lacked water, shade, and basic comforts, some having been stuck for three or four days. He called for urgent intervention from Tunisian authorities, stating that while some progress was made with Libyan counterparts, the treatment of citizens was "humiliating."

By Tuesday, August 4, Abdelkebir reported a positive development, thanking "Libyan brothers" for their response and noting a gradual improvement in traffic flow since Monday. Local Libyan pages also confirmed this improvement, stating that while waiting times were up to ten hours on Monday due t