Nov 18, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa is investigating reports its nationals have been hired to train a force for Guinea's military junta, the government said, pointing to fears of violence in the world's top bauxite exporter.

Speculation has grown that junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara has enlisted foreign military trainers in the face of intense international pressure after a September 28 massacre of opposition supporters increased calls for his resignation.

Diplomatic and security sources have said the mercenaries were South African, while other groups have said the trainers appeared to be of Ukrainian or Israeli origin. There has been no official confirmation yet of the nationality of those involved.

"We've heard both true and false leads when it comes to these allegations about mercenaries of South African origin," said Ayanda Ntsaluba, director general of South Africa's International Relations and Co-operation department.

"So we are trying to be cautious, to verify, to validate the information," he said in a statement late on Tuesday of reports of mercenaries working for a Dubai-based firm in Guinea's east.

Camara, who came to power in a December 2008 coup, was initially welcomed by Guineans as he promised to reform a nation that has vast mineral deposits but remains mired on poverty after years of rule under strongman Lansana Conte.

However, warnings of ethnic violence and potential civil strife have increased as Camara's behaviour became increasingly erratic and he entrenched himself as the nation's leader.