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Libyans arrested in South African ‘military camp’ to be deported

South African prosecutors have dropped charges against 95 Libyans who were arrested on suspicion of receiving training at an illegal military camp.

The case was withdrawn because of insufficient evidence, said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.

The men have only been charged with breaching South Africa’s immigration laws and will be deported to their home country.

The Home Affairs department said in a statement it would ensure “the deportations are conducted swiftly”.

One of the men’s lawyers, Nico du Plessis, told Associated Press the group was “happy” the charges had been dropped.

The group is expected to be deported to Libya’s second city, Benghazi.

Since the ousting and killing of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has suffered from chronic insecurity.

The group were arrested in July after South African police raided a farm in White River – a small town in the northern province of Mpumalanga.

At the time of the arrest, a police spokesperson said the group had “misrepresented themselves” on their visa applications by saying they would be training as security guards.

Licenced firearms and military tents were allegedly found at the camp, along with cocaine and cannabis.

The camp was initially registered as a training site for a private security company but it appears to have been converted, a second police spokesperson, Donald Mdhluli, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

Mr Mdhluli said the owner of the security company was a South African national and that the police were investigating if he had permission to run the site as a military-style camp.

Although the men will be deported, there will still be an investigation into the owners of the farm.

Source: bbc.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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