2024-07-29 01:02:32
The Government of National Unity denied any affiliation or communication between it and 95 Libyans who were announced by the authorities in South Africa to have been arrested inside a place used as a military headquarters, stressing the denial of any connection with the procedures for sending them or assigning them any educational or other mission.
In a statement today, the government expressed its readiness to participate in the investigations into the circumstances of the case, announcing that it had assigned the military prosecutor and the Libyan ambassador to South Africa to follow up, with emphasis on ensuring the safety of the detainees.
The government stressed that such cross-border interventions had long been ignored in Libya, adding that it would continue investigations to uncover the circumstances of the incident and those involved.
In contrast, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government assigned by Parliament, Abdul Hadi Al-Huwaij, announced that they would provide legal support to Libyans detained abroad, in the context of the Libyan camp issue in South Africa.
Al-Huwaij added, in his interview with Sky News Arabia, that the Foreign Ministry is following up on the situation of detained and convicted Libyans.
He said that the Ministry seeks to provide legal support to them and ensure that their detention conditions are appropriate, in a way that preserves their moral and legal rights, in addition to the fairness and integrity of the legal procedures applied to them.
For his part, the South African National Police Chief, General Fanny Masemola, announced new details in the case of the arrest of 95 Libyans inside a camp in their country, saying: The police are cooperating with the Ministry of Interior to investigate how the detainees obtained entry visas to South Africa.
General Masemola explained in press statements that they seized narcotic substances such as marijuana and cocaine, in addition to weapons, inside the camp.
On Friday morning, South African police said they had arrested 95 Libyan nationals on suspicion of receiving training at a secret military camp in the north of the country.
Police spokesman Donald Mdhluli said police activated the Provincial Joint Operations and Intelligence Structure (ProvJoints) two days ago after receiving intelligence about the suspected camp, noting that the site was raided in collaboration with intelligence and interior ministry officials.
Madhloli pointed out that the place that was initially designated as a training site appears to have been transformed into an illegal military training base, according to him.
According to the Associated Press, police raided the camp on a farm in White River in Mpumalanga province, about 360 kilometers northeast of Johannesburg.
National police spokeswoman Athlinda Mathi said in a post on social media site X that the Libyans stated that they entered the country on student visas to train as security guards but police investigations indicate that they received military training.
Newsroom Africa TV broadcast images of the arrest site showing a military camp with green tents.
Police said the operation to arrest the Libyans and close the camp began two days ago, noting that the site had apparently been turned into an illegal military training base.
The 95 individuals arrested are all Libyan nationals and are currently being interrogated by the relevant authorities, Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi said in a statement.
Source: South African Police Statement + Associated Press + Agence France-Presse + Sky News + Statement
2024-07-29 01:02:32