▁and ▁where ▁he ▁also ▁later ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁political ▁activ ism . ▁After ▁the ▁Lib yan ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁result ant ▁inst ability ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁Sab ha ▁reported ly ▁grew ▁in ▁importance ▁as ▁a ▁slave ▁au ction ing ▁town . ▁ ▁However , ▁an ▁investigation ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Commission ▁for ▁Human ▁Rights ▁in ▁Lib ya ▁( N CH RL ) ▁revealed ▁that ▁while ▁there ▁was ▁illegal ▁sla very , ▁reports ▁were ▁ex agger ated , ▁as ▁slave ▁au ctions ▁were ▁rare ▁and ▁not ▁made ▁public . ▁The ▁city ▁was ▁later ▁seized ▁by ▁forces ▁loyal ▁to ▁the ▁Lib yan ▁National ▁Army ▁( L NA ) ▁and ▁its ▁leader ▁K hal ifa ▁H aft ar ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁historical ▁times , ▁Sab ha ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁Lib yan ▁car avan ▁trade . ▁Sab ha ▁O asis , ▁near ▁Sab ha , ▁was ▁the ▁test ▁site ▁of ▁O T RA G ▁rock ets , ▁after ▁launch ing ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁possible ▁in ▁Sh aba ▁North ▁in ▁Z aire ▁( now ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁Congo ). ▁On ▁ 1 ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁an ▁O T RA G ▁ro cket ▁with ▁a ▁maximum ▁height ▁of ▁ ▁was ▁launched . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁remote ▁test ▁site ▁for ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Space ▁program ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁International ▁At omic ▁Energy