‘Inform Parliament about DRC deployment’

President Jacob Zuma

President Jacob Zuma

Published Apr 7, 2013

Share

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma must inform Parliament about the deployment of the defence force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the DA said on Sunday.

“The president has an obligation to inform Parliament promptly and in appropriate detail about any deployment of the SANDF,” Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier said in a statement.

“We cannot be kept in the dark any longer. The president must tell us what is going on.”

Maynier said the deployment of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) troops in the DRC was not on a peacekeeping mission but an “enforcement mission.”

“If the reports are correct, then the SANDF will... be going to war against rebels in the DRC. There will, therefore, be a very high risk of more SANDF casualties, this time in the DRC,” he said.

The SANDF confirmed on Sunday that it would be sending troops to the DRC as part of a United Nations intervention force.

“Yes, the government of South Africa will be sending troops or will contribute troops to the United Nations intervention force into the eastern DRC,” said Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga.

“Last week the UN Security Council adopted a resolution which approved the deployment of an intervention force into the eastern DRC. And the government of South Africa pledged to contribute forces to that force,” he said.

Mabanga said there were no details yet on when and how many soldiers would be sent to the DRC.

He said these issues would be dealt with in the process of assembling the United Nations intervention force. - Sapa

Related Topics: