Zeidan meets with Egyptian border tribal leaders over visas

Tripoli, 8 March 2103:

The Prime Minister Ali Zeidan last night, Thursday, met with mayors and tribal leaders from Egypt’s Mersa Matrouh . . .[restrict]governorate in a bid to calm tension on the border following the Libyan decision that all Egyptians must have visas to visit the country.

For a fortnight, until last Monday, members of the Awlad Ali tribe blockaded the border crossing at Musaid in protest at the decision. The tribe found on both sides of the border, were allowed into Libya during the Qaddafi era without restriction.

The Prime  Minister explained to the tribal leaders that because of security conditions, including the smuggling of arms and drugs, that there had to be visa system but promised that that by Sunday Libyan visas to be issued at Sollum until the opening of the new Libyan consulate at Mersa Matruh.

The temporary office in Sollum, he said, had been agreed in his earlier meeting in Cairo with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. [/restrict]