Last week, the head of the National Security Committee in the Libyan House of Representatives, Talaa al-Mihoub, warned against any infringement on the borders between Libya and Tunisia. He expressed his surprise and condemnation of statements made by Tunisian Minister of Defense Khaled al-Sahili regarding the border between the two countries, saying that “our brothers in Tunisia are more aware of the circumstances our country is going through.” He emphasized that Libya would not recognize any action or decision that alters the internationally recognized borders. Al-Mihoub also stated that the Libyan parliament would hold a session to discuss al-Sahili’s remarks, reiterating that Libya “will not allow any encroachment on a single inch of its national territory.” He further mentioned that border demarcation between Libya and Tunisia is being handled by a joint committee between the two countries.
For his part, al-Sahili stated that the role of the joint Tunisian-Libyan committee is to “define and regulate the borders,” noting that the committee consists of officials from Tunisia’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior, similar to the joint committee Tunisia has with Algeria.
In response, Libya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the issue of “demarcating the Libyan-Tunisian border” was fully resolved more than a decade ago through a joint committee between the two countries. The Ministry emphasized that the issue is considered “stable and closed,” and that it is no longer open for discussion or reconsideration. The statement highlighted that this stance reflects the “brotherly relations and deep historical ties” between the two peoples and the ongoing cooperation between their governments to serve the common interests of both nations. The Ministry also praised the level of coordination between Libya and Tunisia, particularly in areas such as security, trade, investment, and improving conditions for citizens traveling between the two countries.
However, tensions resurfaced in March 2023 when Tunisian President Kais Saied raised the issue of the “continental shelf” and demanded a “sharing” of the production from the “Bouri” oil field, located in the Mediterranean Sea between the two countries. Saied stated that Tunisia had only received “scraps” from the Bouri oil field, adding that there had been discussions during the presidencies of Muammar Gaddafi and Habib Bourguiba to divide the field. The dispute over the Bouri oil field dates back to before 1982. However, according to Libya’s Ministry of Oil, the two countries had agreed to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice, which ruled in favor of Libya in what was known as the “continental shelf case.”
The recent concerns over reopening the border issue prompted a warning from Talaa al-Mihoub, urging against any action that might affect the Libyan-Tunisian border. He reiterated his surprise at the Tunisian defense minister’s remarks, reminding that Tunisia is well aware of the current circumstances in Libya and reinforcing the necessity to respect the internationally recognized borders. Meanwhile, the Libyan parliament held a session to prepare for a “National Reconciliation Law” and a “National Reconciliation Forum,” organized by the Justice and National Reconciliation Committee within the House.
