South African police arrested 95 Libyan nationals on Friday after raiding a suspected secret military training camp, and authorities said they were investigating whether there were other illegal bases in other parts of the country.
Police said the camp was discovered on a farm in White River, Mpumalanga, about 360km northeast of Johannesburg.
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National police spokeswoman Aslenda Mathe said in a post on social media site X that the Libyans had entered the country on student visas to receive security training, but police investigations suggested they were undergoing military training.
News channel Newsroom Africa aired photos from the arrest scene, showing a military-style camp of large green and khaki tents lined up in rows. Dozens of men were seen lined up as they were being arrested. They were wearing civilian clothes.
Local government official Jackie Massie said the investigation was continuing and the farm owner would be questioned. She added that authorities had information about similar clandestine camps near two other towns in Mpumalanga.
Ninety-five Libyan nationals are seen lining up after their arrest on suspicion of running an illegal military camp, in White River, South Africa, Friday, July 26, 2024. Police say 95 people of Libyan nationality have been arrested for allegedly receiving training at a secret military camp in the north of the country. (AP Photo/Bulelwa Mapanga)
The province borders neighbouring Mozambique and Swaziland and is a concern for South African authorities over illegal immigration.
Police and authorities have not said whether the camps are suspected to be linked to any particular group or conflict.
Massie said the investigation would reveal whether there was a network of camps in South Africa and explain “why they are conducting military training in our country”.
Police said the men may be linked to crimes reported in areas near the farm in recent months.
“The cases police have launched investigations into include serious ones, including rape and armed robbery, and the complainants allege that the crimes were committed by unidentified foreign nationals, believed to be of Asian descent,” police spokesman Donald Mdluli said.
“We take what we have found here today very seriously because we don’t know who was training them, what they were being trained for and why that training is taking place in South Africa. This is a potential threat not just to South Africa but to the entire southern African region.”
Police said the operation to arrest the Libyans and close the camps began two days ago. Massieh said the Libyan nationals had been in the country since at least April.
“All 95 people detained are Libyan nationals and are currently being interrogated by the appropriate authorities,” Mpumalanga acting police commissioner, Major General Zeff Mkhwanazi, said in a statement.
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Police spokesman Mdluli said the country’s security services had confirmed that the training that was believed to have taken place at the camp went far beyond the scope of guard training.
“The equipment found here indicates that intense military training was taking place here. This was essentially a military base.”
