Recent reports confirmed that hundreds of Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries are being relocated from Libya to Niger. This initial deployment involves fighters who will undertake guarding and combat operations for a monthly salary of $1,500 each.
Since late 2019, Turkey has deployed thousands of Syrian fighters to Libya to support the former Government of National Accord (GNA) against the Libyan National Army (LNA). Syrian fighters were also sent to assist Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
With the stabilization of Libya and the cessation of hostilities between the eastern and western regions following the October 2020 ceasefire agreement, observers are now questioning whether the Syrian mercenaries’ mission in Tripoli has ended, especially given their new deployment to Niger.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has documented that since last year, the Turkish defense consulting firm SADAT has transferred at least a thousand Syrian fighters from Turkish-aligned factions in northern Syria to Niger. The aim is to “protect Turkish projects and interests, including mines.”
The observatory noted that since August, hundreds of these fighters have been transported from northern Syria to Gaziantep Airport, flown to Burkina Faso, and then moved to camps on the Niger border with military assistance. This marks a new destination for Syrian mercenaries following their engagements in Libya and Azerbaijan.
These fighters registered for deployment to Niger with the leadership of the Sultan Murad Division, a faction known for its strong allegiance to Turkey in northern Syria. They signed six-month contracts with SADAT.
SADAT, often viewed as Turkey’s covert tool in conflicts across North Africa and the Middle East, has previously been accused by Washington in 2020 of sending fighters to Libya to support the GNA. SADAT has also been implicated in deploying Syrian fighters to assist Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, allegations the Turkish Defense Ministry has denied.
The Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability has asserted that SADAT is responsible for the international air transport of mercenaries from Syria to Turkey, and onward to Libya and Azerbaijan.
In January, the Syrian Observatory revealed significant discontent among Syrian mercenaries stationed in Tripoli camps due to the prolonged suspension of group rotations. The mercenaries or contractors refused to be deployed to Libya under these rotation operations due to a reduction in salaries from $150-200 per month, down from the previous $2,500 per month when active combat was ongoing in Libya.
This salary reduction led to a complete halt in group rotations, resulting in dissatisfaction among the mercenaries who have remained in Libya for over a year, despite the intended three-month rotation schedule. Some Syrian mercenaries have not been rotated since their initial deployment to Libya.
On September 20, 2023, the Syrian Observatory reported that around 3,000 Turkish-aligned Syrian mercenaries had deserted their military bases in Libya. Some fled to different parts of Libya seeking work, while others left for European Union countries.
According to sources from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the number of Syrian mercenaries in Libya exceeded 7,000 a few months ago, with around 3,000 fleeing and subsequently becoming refugees in North Africa and Europe.
The deployment of Syrian mercenaries to Libya was part of Turkey’s broader strategy to expand its influence in the Mediterranean region. Initially, these mercenaries bolstered the GNA’s efforts against the LNA, contributing significantly to the conflict dynamics within Libya.
