Syria and Lebanon have agreed to transfer the current border post in the Masnaa area to an adjacent property administratively affiliated with the municipality of Majdal Anjar, to be the last real estate point linking Lebanon to Syria, in a direct step aimed at ending one of the largest security gaps open on the border.
Lebanese sources said the agreement was reached during recent meetings with the Syrian side, explaining that the implementation of the transfer would close and liquidate the 12-kilometer separation zone between the two old customs posts, an area that smugglers have long exploited to carry out their operations away from control.
$30 million from the European Union
The sources revealed that the project will be fully funded by the European Union and international donors through a financial donation of $30 million, allocated to build an integrated model border center that includes unified offices for General Security, Customs, Border Guard and the Lebanese Army, forming a single security and administrative complex that works to control movement between the two countries.
The sources indicated that the donation will be presented to the Lebanese state, without mentioning the Syrian side, noting that the donation includes advanced technical equipment, most notably digital inspection devices (scanners) to detect large truck loads immediately, in addition to digital tracking systems and thermal cameras to enhance control over the movement of people and goods.
She stated that the construction and preparation works will take about a full year, due to the nature of the rugged geographical location, which requires the immediate start of extensive excavation, blasting and paving works on the mountain on which the new property is located in Majdal Anjar, which makes the project a comprehensive border reorganization process that redraws the security landscape between the two countries, according to the description of Lebanese sources.
Why now?
Lebanese and Syrian reports confirm that this border proposal went through complex stages before reaching the final agreement, as it faced stumbling and postponement for many years due to the rejection of the former Syrian regime, which linked any step to land disputes and displacement over land in the border area, which made the project stuck in the circle of justifications and repeated problems.
The sources stated that the change in the political scene in Damascus produced a clear flexibility that allowed to build a climate of "coordination trust accumulation" between Damascus and Beirut, which accelerated the end of the dispute and the approval of the immediate transfer of the site without additional postponement or disruptive conditions.
Lebanon is betting that the liquidation of the 12-kilometer strip will allow for tighter control, prevent the smuggling of Captagon pills and goods, and thwart any attempts to smuggle weapons and ammunition across borders.