Month: August 2021

Tunisia launched on Sunday the third national open day for vaccination against COVID-19 across the country’s 24 governorates for citizens aged between 15 and 17 and those aged 40 and above. The vaccination process started at 7 a.m. local time and continued until 7 p.m with 467.631 COVID vaccination administered on the same day. This initiative was organized by the health ministry in coordination with the defence, interior and education ministries, and in cooperation with several departments and components of the civil society. Over 390 vaccination centres, distributed throughout the…

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Policy, Josep Borrell, intends to visit Libya, along with Tunisia and Iraq next month, the Libya Observer reports. The EU is in direct contact with Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), in order to fully organize Borrell’s visit to Tripoli, according to the Italian Nova Agency, citing Libyan sources for its information. On Sunday last, Borrell called for the creation of a European military force capable of fighting if called upon, suggesting: “A force of approximately 50,000 soldiers, who…

Tunisian security forces have stepped up their activities against irregular migration, AnsaMed reports. Italian interior ministry sources say that this came after the activation of a “direct line of communication between the Italian and Tunisian authorities for the rapid exchange of information on boats carrying irregular migrants departing from the North African country’s coasts and on criminal activities connected with this phenomenon”. The Tunisian Coast Guard has thwarted “eleven unauthorized attempts to cross the maritime border and rescued 231 people”, according to a Tunisian interior ministry statement, noting that among…

Tunisian naval forces rescued 396 migrants from drowning after several of their boats capsized in the middle of the night while making the journey across the Mediterranean to reach Italy, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday More migrants have been attempting the dangerous crossing from the North African coast in recent weeks. Many of those setting off for a better life are from Syria, Bangladesh and other African countries, as well as Tunisians. Twelve people remain missing from a boat accident near the Mahdia resort area south of the capital…

Libya reopened its air traffic and land borders with neighbouring country Tunisia on Thursday. The government sent correspondence in this regard to the ministers of Transport and Interior, underscoring the need to take protective measures against the Covid-19 pandemic, the Libya Observer reports The letters referred to previous recommendations set by relevant bodies that provided for the necessity of opening land and air crossings for health, humanitarian and economic reasons, with an emphasis on the need to take all the necessary precautions and sanitary shields. Libya closed its border with…