Tripoli, Libya – In a significant development on the ground, the “Fezzan Revolutionaries Force” announced the complete closure of Libya’s southern border to truck traffic and commercial transport until further notice. In its statement, the leadership declared the border strip—extending from the Algerian border in the west to the tri-border area shared with Chad and Sudan in the east—a “closed military zone,” thereby prohibiting movement within the area. As of yet, it has not been possible to independently verify the force’s actual capacity to exert absolute control on the ground, nor its ability to fully seal off such an extensive stretch of the border.
Motives for the Escalation and the Al-Qatrun Siege Crisis
According to the force, this escalatory move was a direct response to what it described as “acts of blockade” imposed by eastern Libyan forces on the Al-Qatrun area—specifically, the obstruction of fuel trucks, cooking gas supplies, and essential goods intended for residents. In the same context, the “Fezzan Revolutionaries Force” threatened to target any trucks suspected of smuggling fuel and resources out of the country to neighboring states. This escalating tension stems from two weeks of volatile events in Al-Qatrun, sparked by the killing of a young man from the Tebu community at a gas station; the situation rapidly deteriorated into armed clashes with military forces deployed in the area.
The Background to the Emergence of the “Fezzan Revolutionaries” and Demands to End Marginalization
The “Fezzan Revolutionaries Force” is organizationally affiliated with the “South Liberation Operations Room,” and its ranks are predominantly composed of fighters from the Toubou ethnic group. The force emerged on the military and political scene in early 2026 after launching swift, surprise attacks on positions held by eastern Libyan forces; notably, it managed to seize control of the “Al-Tum” border crossing with Niger for several hours last January. Subsequently, it continued to carry out sporadic attacks across the Fezzan region. Through its actions, the force seeks to position itself as a local entity defending the region’s rights, calling for an end to what it describes as the political and developmental marginalization of southern Libya. It also demands guarantees for the equitable distribution of fuel and essential resources to the region’s inhabitants.
