Tunisian Authorities Release 15 Sailors Kidnapped by Local Fishermen

Tunisian authorities have managed convincing local fishers in the province of Tabarga, near border with Algeria, to release 15 Algerian fishers off an overall of 30, captured there for several days.

The abductors quitted requiring from negotiators to press Algerian authorities to set free 6 Tunisian fishers, in exchange of releasing the Algerian sailors. 

To recall, Algerian coast guards intercepted 6 Tunisian fishers extracting illegally corals in the Algerian territorial waters, in flagrant delicto. 

As soon as they heard the news, some Tunisian fishers reacted by abducting 5 boats carrying 30 Algerian sailors.

Consequently, some Algerian sailors in the locality of El Kala threatened to protest against that act by preventing Tunisian vehicles to enter Algeria via the crossing post of Oum Tboul, causing a state of alert there. Tunisian authorities had warned Algerian tourists entering to the country to remain alert, amid the aforementioned “sailors-crisis.” 

Such an issue was about to affect Algeria Tunisia bilateral relations.

Three boats carrying 15 sailors arrived Monday evening to Annaba port, as Tunisian authorities pleaded to send the two remaining boats once maintenance works are finished, solving promptly the crisis.

Finally, the situation has returned to normal in the crossing post, as Tunisians and Algerians are crossing normally, while several Tunisian citizens expressed their indignation over the “irresponsible” behavior of their compatriot fishers, saying “they don’t represent Tunisians.”