Cablegate: Egypt-Libya: Libya Reopens the Border

O 131350Z JAN 93
FM AMCONSUL ALEXANDRIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0300
INFO DIA WASHDC
AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
AMEMBASSY TUNIS
AMEMBASSY CAIRO
SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS ALEXANDRIA 000024

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE

LIBSANC

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PREL ETRD UNSC LY EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT-LIBYA: LIBYA REOPENS THE BORDER

REF: (A) ALEXANDRIA 22 (B) FBIS NC0901165293

1. OFFICIALS OF THE MERSA MATROUH GOVERNORATE HAVE
CONFIRMED LOCAL PRESS REPORTS THAT THE SALLOUM BORDER
CROSSING WAS REOPENED BY LIBYAN AUTHORITIES EARLY
TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 12. LIBYA HAD CLOSED ITS LAND
BORDERS FOR A THREE-DAY PERIOD TO PROTEST THE
U.N.-IMPOSED SANCTIONS (COMMENT: THERE ARE A FEW RUMORS
HERE, PROBABLY GROUNDLESS, THAT THE GOL CLOSED THE
BORDERS WHILE SEARCHING FOR SUSPECTS INVOLVED IN THE CA
ACCIDENT WHICH KILLED THE GOL JUSTICE MINISTER. END
COMMENT). OVER 150 VEHICLES HAVE REPORTEDLY CROSSED AT
SALLOUM SINCE THE BORDER WAS REOPENED. THE GOVERNOR 0
MERSA MATROUH HAS BEEN AT THE BORDER OVERSEEING THE
COMMITMENT OF ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AND OTHER RESOURCES
TO HANDLE A HEAVY TRAFFIC BACKLOG.

2. NOT A FEW EGYPTIANS WERE INCONVENIENCED AND ANGERE
BY LIBYAS ACTIONS. AS ONE EXAMPLE, EXPATRIATE TEACHE
WORKING IN LIBYA LOST THREE DAYS OF THEIR MID-TERM
HOLIDAY WHEN THEY WERE STRANDED. THE PRESS REPORTS TH
LOSSES TO EGYPTIAN BUSINESSES FROM THE EMBARGO TOTALLE
20 MILLION L.E. (ABOUT USD 600,000), INCLUDING MUCH
SPOILED PRODUCE. COMMENT: WHILE THIS SEEMS HIGH TO US
WE DO NOTE PRIOR REPORTS (REF A) OF THE MAGNITUDE OF T
TRAFFIC BACKLOG AND THAT MERCHANTS DELAYED AT SALLOUM
WERE SELLING THEIR PRODUCE AT VERY REDUCED PRICES.
WHATEVER THE DAMAGES, THE GOL WON NO FRIENDS HERE WITH
ITS EMBARGO AND, IN FACT, PROBABLY LEFT LIBYAS OWN
BUSINESS COMMUNITY HURT AND ANGRY. OUR LOCAL CONTACTS
FLATLY CALL THE EMBARGO ECONOMIC "SUICIDE" FOR LIBYA.

SCHELL

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