95 arrested Libyan nationals want be taken home

Police in Mpumalanga have uncovered a suspected military training base in White River where 95 foreign nationals were arrested on Friday.The training camp was uncovered by members of the police working together with the Provincial Joint Structures (ProvJOINTS) and the Department of Home Affairs

Police in Mpumalanga have uncovered a suspected military training base in White River where 95 foreign nationals were arrested on Friday.The training camp was uncovered by members of the police working together with the Provincial Joint Structures (ProvJOINTS) and the Department of Home Affairs

Published Aug 10, 2024

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The 95 Libyan nationals arrested at an illegal camp in White River, Mpumalanga, have demanded to be taken home 12 days after their arrest while their alleged handler, a Libyan businessman, remains missing.

Reports have been rife that the businessman had flown in the Libyan 95 in April this year. They allegedly flew from Benghazi in Libya to Tunis in Tunisia, where they applied for student visas to South Africa, then landed in OR Tambo, destined for a farm in White River.

It has not yet been revealed why he had brought them into South Africa. However, the men, who are still in custody, intimated that they were in the country to train as security officers.

The men appeared for a second time in the White River magistrate’s court on Monday but their case was postponed to the 26th of this month for further investigations.

They are being charged with contravening the South African Immigration Act after provincial police raided a farm near White River last month, uncovering what appeared to be a secret military base for training the Libyans.

During the court proceedings on Monday, the men were shouting, in Arabic, to the media that they were demanding the South African government take them home.

They said they had come to South Africa to be trained as security officers and they did not know why they had been arrested.

They said the businessman had brought them to be trained but had deserted them.

In a letter addressed to the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, and written in both Arabic and English, the Libyan Government of National Unity stated that they would be investigating who had flown them to South Africa.

“The GNU has tasked its military prosecutor and the Libyan embassy accredited to South Africa to communicate with the relevant authorities in Johannesburg to follow up on the circumstances of this case, stressing our readiness to participate in the investigations to uncover its circumstances and the parties behind it, while ensuring the safety of the detained citizens and their treatment in accordance with the relevant international agreements and procedures,” it read.

South African authorities shut down the illegal military training camp, sparking a multi-agency investigation.

A general view of the entrance to a farm where the South African Police Services detained ninety five Libyan nationals for receiving training at what authorities suspect to be a secret military camp in White River, Mpumalanga province on July 26, 2024. - South African authorities rounded up 95 Libyans in a raid Friday at a farm that appeared to have been converted into an illegal military training base, police said. The early morning raid was in a remote area outside the town of White River in the northeastern province of Mpumalanga, about 360 kilometres (220 miles) east of Johannesburg, they said. "The 95 individuals taken into custody are all Libyan nationals and are currently being questioned by the relevant authorities," police said in a statement. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)

The raid has raised more questions than answers, with authorities seeking to uncover the true intentions of the Libyans and the purpose of their training. The men were found to be involved in military-style training, sparking concerns about national security.

The incident has also highlighted regulatory failures, with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (Psira) admitting that it only learnt of the illegal training on July 8 despite authorities having had intelligence about the Libyans' arrival in April.

The watchdog, during a media briefing in Tshwane on Wednesday, informed journalists that investigations found that the training facility was illegal. It was considering legal action against the trainers and individuals linked to the facility.

The security regulator also found the instructors were foreign nationals who were uncredited and used false military ranks at the facility owned by Milites Dei Security Services (MDSS).

As the investigation continues, authorities are working to determine the extent of illegal training and involvement of the Libyan businessman who allegedly brought the men to South Africa. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has vowed to ensure that all outstanding investigations were finalised.

There are rumours that the men terrorised the village community they were living near to, with some allegations of rape.

Addressing the media on Monday after court, Monica Nyuswa, the regional spokesperson for the NPA’s Mpumalanga division, said the NPA, together with the police, were working tirelessly to ensure that the outstanding investigations were being finalised.

“The matter had been postponed to get an Arabic interpreter initially, as well as for further investigations. When they appeared in court today, the Arabic interpreter was present in court.

“The investigations will determine whether more charges will be added and whether more arrests will be made,” she said.

Saturday Star

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za