Tuareg mercenaries, like the above pictured Niger-based fighters, have been reported fighting for Qaddafi in Libya / ReutersQaddafi's African Mercenaries Head Home. Will They Destabilize The Sahel? -- Christian Science Monitor
Now that Muammar Qaddafi has fallen from power, the sub-Saharan African mercenaries who fought for him are returning home – with weapons and military expertise.
In March, as reports swirled that Sahelian mercenaries were fighting in Libya for Col. Muammar Qaddafi, Joshua Keating asked, “What happens when the mercenaries return home?” As Keating noted yesterday, we now have a partial answer. AFP reports:
“Hundreds of Malian and Nigeri[e]n Tuaregs are coming home from the Libyan front. Among them are former Malian and Nigerien rebels, but also Tuaregs of Malian origin who were in the Libyan army,” said a security source at Gao in the north of Mali.
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My Comment: As Gaddafi's mercenaries flee Libya, many are now starting to talk about their experiences. As for those who stay behind, fears of retribution and revenge abound.
My prediction is that many of these mercenaries will not ferment strife or conflict .... they have probably seen enough of it in the past few months. But what will happen in the future (i.e. 6 months or a year from now) .... now that is another story.