Authorities in South Africa are investigating potential links between a private security training facility and militant groups after a raid uncovered a shadowy operation potentially offering military-style instruction to Libyan nationals.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) revealed on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into the activities of Milites Dei Security Services (MDSS), a company operating a training camp in Mpumalanga province.
The probe come in the wake of last week’s arrest of 95 Libyan nationals at the facility.
According to PSiRA chief executive Manabela Chauke, the training being offered at the White River camp was far beyond the company’s accredited scope, raising serious red flags.
Chauke stated that the “nature of the training included extensive physical activities with military-styled structures.
“Investigations also uncovered instructors who are not accredited by the authority at the facility. The trainers used military ranks which further reaffirms the nature of training conducted at the training facility,” Chauke said.
He disclosed that there was no authorisation or exemption granted to MDSS to provide any kind of military training to foreign nationals.
This suggests the company may have been operating a clandestine facility, potentially with links to militant groups such as Al-Qaeda or ISIS, who have been known to recruit and train fighters from North Africa.
PSiRA has served MDSS with a suspension notice, effectively shutting down the company’s training operations until the investigation is concluded.
The regulatory body is also considering pressing criminal charges against the service providers and personnel involved.
The incident raises fears of the potential emergence of militant training camps on South African soil, posing a grave national security risk, with potential spillover effects across the region.
The PSiRA probe is now tasked with unravelling the true nature and potential affiliations of the MDSS operation, in a bid to prevent South Africa from becoming a haven for extremist activity.
JN/APA