Wetin dey happen? After more than ten years wey dem lock am, the border crossing between Iraq and Syria don open again on Monday. This one na big news for trade and oil business for the area.
The crossing wey dem dey call Rabia for Iraq side and Yarubiyah for Syria side, dem close am since 2011 when Syrian civil war start. Later, Islamic State militants seize the area for 2014 before Iraqi Kurdish forces come take am back.
Now, officials from both countries gather for ceremony to open the gate. Syria state-run SANA news agency talk say dem discuss how to make coordination better and make trade and movement easy for shared interest.
Nadia al-Jubouri, one member of Iraq provincial council for Nineveh, talk for the ceremony say this reopening go allow “trade exchange and oil transportation towards this great gate.”
Why this one important? Iraq dey depend on oil money for about 90% of im budget. Before, dem dey export most of im oil through Strait of Hormuz for Gulf, but that route don face wahala because of Iran war.
Omar al-Waeli, head of Iraq Border Ports Commission, explain say opening Rabia go reduce pressure for fuel shipments to Syria. Right now, most fuel oil trucks dey queue up for al-Waleed crossing for western Iraq, na the only border wey dey work before.
Iraq dey try clear plenty fuel oil wey dem store because maritime exports through Gulf don suffer. So dem turn to overland routes through Syria, even though e cost more.
Iraq state oil marketer SOMO don award contracts to supply about 650,000 metric tons of fuel oil every month from April to June. This fuel oil go enter trucks wey go cross through Syria.
Convoys of tanker trucks loaded with Iraqi fuel oil go soon begin to cross the border in coming days. Energy officials talk say this operation don already stretch Iraq trucking and border infrastructure.
Before, Iraq dey export bulk of im fuel oil through Khor al-Zubair terminal for Gulf. But now, this new land route go serve as alternative.
This Rabia-Yarubiyah crossing na the fourth Syria-Iraq land crossing wey don resume operation. Others wey don open before na Al-Qaim-Al-Bukamal and Al-Walid-Al-Tanf after Bashar al-Assad regime fall for December 2024.
Syria General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs talk say this move go boost economic activity, make bilateral ties strong, support stability efforts, and make movement of people and goods easy under approved legal frameworks.
Officials from both countries attend the reopening ceremony. The crossing don dey largely shut for about 13 years because of security conditions and military operations during the conflict.
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