South Africa announced on Saturday its intention to swiftly deport 95 Libyans arrested at a camp under investigation for conducting military-style training in violation of regulations. The arrests occurred on Friday during a raid at the remote camp located in Mpumalanga, a northeastern province bordering Mozambique and Eswatini.
According to police, the Libyans had entered South Africa in April using visas obtained for security guard training. However, authorities suspected that the men were actually undergoing military training.
The Department of Home Affairs revealed that the visas were “irregularly acquired” in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, based on “misrepresentation.” Consequently, the visas were cancelled, and the men now face deportation.
“It’s clear to us that their being here is illegal…We would want them to be out if the country as soon as possible but we will follow due process,” national police minister Senzo Mchunu told reporters.
A sign leading to the facility outside of White River, about 360 kilometres (220 miles) east of Johannesburg, describes it as an academy offering “specialised security training”.
It was registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) but appeared to have gone beyond the brief of training for security guards, Mchunu said.
“All indications are pointing to this being more of a military training facility than an ordinary security training centre,” he said.
“If you like, (it is) wholly military and less, or partially, security.”
Television footage of the camp revealed military-style tents, though the arrested men were dressed in civilian clothes. According to national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola, the weapons found at the camp were all legal. However, Mchunu noted that questions needed to be addressed regarding the training, which “appears to be basically and fundamentally military.”
South Africa has a substantial private security industry that includes training, with more than 15,000 security firms employing approximately 2.8 million guards, providing armed response and training services, according to PSIRA.
Police stated that the owner of the security company running the facility is a South African national who was not under arrest as of Saturday but is under investigation. Most of the detained Libyans did not speak English, and it was unclear if they were affiliated with any group.
Libya has experienced years of unrest since the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, resulting in a division between a UN-recognized government in Tripoli and a rival administration backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar in the east.
Rival factions have sought security training from private companies abroad to create elite military units, explained Jalel Harchaoui, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in Britain. He referenced a recent report by The Irish Times indicating that an Irish firm was paid to train Haftar’s forces.
The UN-recognized Libyan government stated it “formally and clearly denies” any affiliation with the men in South Africa. Residents near the camp told AFP that the men had been in the area since around April.
“They would come and sell their clothes… they would come buy alcohol and try to talk to us,” said Ayanda Shabangu, 20.
The men were always in large groups and their presence had worried locals, said Muzi Bulunge.
“They would speak a language we don’t understand… out of 10, only one would speak English,” he said. “We are scared because we didn’t know what they were here for.”
