'Libyans arrested in SA likely from elite unit controlled by notorious warlord'

The arrest of 95 Libyans in Mpumalanga at an alleged military training camp (Milites Dei Academy) continues to raise important questions.

The men appeared in court on Monday on charges of breaching the Immigration Act.

Groenewald slams intelligence services for allowing Libyan nationals to undergo military training in SA undetected

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The 95 Libyans are likely members of the 20/20 company, which falls under the eastern Libyan militia controlled by renegade general Khalifa Haftar, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC).

John Perlman finds out more from Julian Rademeyer, the Global Initiative's director for East and Southern Africa.

"We have a network in north Africa which closely monitors the region, and we've triangulated information from a number of independent sources that these men are very likely from the 2020 company, which is an elite unit within the Tariq Bin Ziyad (TBZ) brigade, which falls under the command of Khalifa Haftar."

"Haftar is arguably Libya's most potent warlord who has a strong hold in the country... He was involved in the brutal attempt to try and take Tripoli in 2019 and 2020 and has surrounded himself with a very powerful militia."

Julian Rademeyer, Director: East & Southern Africa - Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime

The arrests in South Africa came amid rising tensions in Libya, in the run-up to long-delayed elections.

Libyan leaders had agreed in March on the need to form a unified government that would supervise the elections, but Rademeyter says that government's mandat expired some time ago.

The country has two competing governments, the United Nations-backed one in the capital Tripoli, and the eastern government which Haftar is aligned with.

Rademeyer concurs that the South African development could lead to diplomatic tensions with Libya.

He points out that UN member states are obliged to enforce the arms embargo that's in place in Libya.

"It requires all member states to take necessary measures to prevent the provision of military training or any other assistance through their territories or by nationals in those territories, so there are potentially some important questions that need to be asked."

"This also flies in the face of some of our own regulations around mercenary activity, and raises questions too about the lapses - why was this not caught earlier by for example Home Affaris?"

Julian Rademeyer, Director: East & Southern Africa - Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime