The Islamic Legion
A few years after he took power in Libya, Gaddafi embarked on an ill-fated endeavor of creating a Pan-Sahelian Islamic state. One of the instruments for Gaddafi’s dream was to put together the Islamic Legion, thousands of half-baked mercenaries scraped among the poor in the Sahel region as well as from among Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants, according to Janice Thomson.
It is not clear whether the Islamic Legion was put together to scare poorer and weaker north African states into joining Gaddafi’s mission but legionnaires were used in the conflict against Chad. In Sudan too, Gaddafi tried to gain the confidence of Gafaar Nimelry by lending him support with some Legion troops.
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Overall, the Legion project was not successful and Gaddafi disbanded them in the 1980s. However, elements of the group would join forces with Islamic fundamentalists in the region such as the Janjaweed, to foment troubles that have continued till date.
