Libyan group claim to be recruited by tycoon as security

One of the 95 men arrested at a military camp in Mpumalanga claims they were recruited by a Libyan tycoon who funded their trip only to disappear about a month ago, leaving them starving.

The men appeared in court yesterday on charges of misrepresentation and contravening the Immigration Act during their applications for visas to SA earlier this year. The discovery of the training camp has caused public outrage and raised questions about SA’s domestic security from potential extremist threats. 

“He [businessman] asked us to apply and we did. He paid all our travelling costs and also helped pay for our training. But early last month we lost all contact with him as he didn’t send any money to the people who ran the camp. We started running out of food and that’s when we began selling some of our blankets to buy food and alcohol.

“Even after our arrest he hasn’t tried to make contact with us. We were looking for jobs and we did not know what we were coming here to do was illegal,” said the man.

He said he had been unemployed and came across a job opportunity offered by a businessman in Libya who wanted to recruit security guards to protect his businesses in Libya. The businessman runs several companies in Libya and has gold mining interests in that country. 

Meanwhile, according to Libyan media reports, the men belonged to the 2020 Group, which is part of the Tariq bin Ziyad Brigade affiliated to Libyan army commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces. Saudi-based Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath TV channel said the men were sent by the general command in official coordination with an Irish security company for training as special forces.