South African helicopters smuggled to Libyan warlord

Khalifa Haftar (Photo: Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters)

At least four French-built Gazelle helicopters were secretly flown out of Lanseria Airport in South Africa to warlord Khalifa Haftar’s rebel stronghold in Benghazi, Libya — in violation of United Nations sanctions, according to News24’s sister publication Rapport.

The aircraft were reportedly transported aboard planes operated by the Russian airline Abakan Air over two months, with flight plans falsely listing Jordan as their destination. The covert transfers raise serious questions about how military-grade equipment was able to leave South African airspace undetected.

Haftar, a former ally of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, controls much of eastern Libya and remains under international sanctions prohibiting arms deliveries to his forces. South African aviation and security authorities have yet to comment on the allegations.

The incident is expected to draw scrutiny from the UN Security Council and could strain South Africa’s diplomatic standing as a member of the global body tasked with enforcing the very sanctions that appear to have been breached.