Ninety-five Libyan nationals arrested at an illegal military base in Mpumalanga will appear in court on Monday. They are reportedly linked to General Khalifa Haftar, a Libyan military strongman allied with Russia that is trying to overthrow the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The 95 Libyan nationals will face charges relating to the contravention of the Immigration Act after they entered South Africa with visas acquired through misrepresentation in Tunis, Tunisia. The eastern Libyan government has acknowledged the 95 Libyans involved had been sent from Benghazi. The Haftar family has contracted ex-Irish soldiers, working for a company called Irish Training Solutions, to train the 166 Infantry Brigade of the Libyan National Army. The military training by the Irish company and the South African company violated the UN arms embargo, which has been in force since 2011 following the outbreak of civil war between former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his opponents. The South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said more charges could be laid at a later stage. The Ministry of Police and SAPS said that the site, initially designated as a training facility, had been converted into an illegal military training base.
South Africa's Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) has arrested 95 Libyan nationals who were allegedly conducting military-style training on a farm in White River, Mpumalanga. The company, registered with PSiRA, specializes in military-style security and offers security courses at Milites Dei Academy. The SAPS reported that the Libyans were housed in military tents and that military training equipment was found at the site. During the takedown operation, police found dagga and cocaine, which were sent to the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria to identify. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber welcomed the arrests and called for the rule of law to be restored. The Department of Home Affairs has cancelled the irregularly acquired visas and is working with law enforcement authorities to consider deportation options.
