Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON — Tunisia, confronted by Al Qaida, has been struggling to maintain security along its borders, a report said.

The International Crisis Group asserted that Tunisia was losing control over its borders, particularly with Algeria and Libya. In a report, ICG said the borders served Islamist insurgents as well as arms and drug smugglers.

“Hard drugs as well as — for now — relatively small quantities of firearms and explosives regularly enter the country from Libya,” the report, titled “Tunisia’s Borders: Jihadism and Contraband,” said. “Likewise, the northern half of the Tunisian-Algerian border is becoming an area of growing trafficking of cannabis and small arms. These trends are both increasing the jihadis’ disruptive potential and intensifying corruption of border authorities.”

Dated Nov. 28, the report said the absence of border security facilitated Al Qaida-aligned operations in Tunisia. The insurgency threat has been intensified by the return of fighters from the civil war in Syria.

“By the same token, the aftermath of the Tunisian uprising and of the Libyan war has provoked a reorganization of contraband cartels — commercial at the Algerian border, tribal at the Libyan border — thereby weakening state control and paving the way for far more dangerous types of trafficking,” the report said.

Tunisia was also facing insurgency in the cities of the North African
state. The report said Islamists were joining with criminal gangs to
overcome the military and police.

ICG recommended the resolution of the political crisis in Tunisia,
increased security patrols as well as regional counter-insurgency
cooperation. The report urged Algeria, Libya and Tunisia to form working
groups on border control and public security.

“Strengthen security cooperation, notably by adding joint border
checkpoints and joint patrols and encourage information sharing,” the
report, addressing the three North African states, said.

  Al Qaida insurgents, contraband cartels, drug smugglers, International Crisis Group, Report: Tunisian losing control of its border areas to jihadists