Zuma: No need to bring troops home

Published Mar 26, 2013

Share

Cape Town - Calls mounted on Monday for South Africa to pull its forces out of the Central African Republic following an epic battle in which 13 troops were confirmed killed.

But with the defence force saying the ball was now in the court of the politicians, President Jacob Zuma said the government had no reason to order a withdrawal.

“There has been no reason for us to leave. What we’ve been looking at is how do we reinforce our forces, how do we ensure that there are no further casualties,” Zuma told reporters at his Pretoria residence.

“There is no reason for us to issue a command for withdrawal.”

He said the “actions of these bandits” would not deter South Africa in its peacekeeping efforts and in “supporting the prevention of the military overthrow of constitutionally elected governments and thus subverting democracy”.

His spokesman, Mac Maharaj, said the troops had been in CAR “in pursuance of an agreement that was negotiated” that had resulted in a government being formed.

“We are trying to see that that agreement is adhered to and we will have to monitor how that unfolds.”

South Africa was co-operating with the African Union on the matter.

Asked whether the government had been in contact with the rebels to ensure the safety of the South African troops, he said this was an operational matter that would be discussed by the SA National Defence Force with all authorities in the area, including peacekeeping forces, to ensure the injured and the bodies of those killed could be brought home.

Earlier, defence force chief General Solly Shoke described the bravery of the South African force of just under 200, which he said had fought off an attack on Saturday by as many as 3 000 rebel fighters in a pitched battle lasting 18 hours.

This battle followed an ambush on a South African reconnaissance patrol the previous day in which two soldiers suffered flesh wounds as the unit fought its way out under a kilometre of rebel fire.

When the rebels advanced on Saturday after taking the town of Damara on the way to Bangui, within 8km of the South African base, the soldiers had taken up defensive positions outside the base, Shoke said.

A “high-tempo, high-intensity” battle followed that lasted more than nine hours before a lull, followed by renewed fighting. The battle lasted a total of 18 hours, Shoke said, before a rebel general made contact to discuss a truce. Representatives of the rebels had approached waving a white flag and the sides had agreed they would avoid further contact. The rebels had apologised for firing on the South Africans.

When the roll call was taken it was found 13 South Africans were dead, one was missing and 27 had been injured. Shoke said one body had not been positively identified and could be the missing soldier.

South Africa should be proud of its troops, who had fought “against all odds” to repulse the attack.

They were still in position and awaiting their next orders.

Shoke said “running away” was not an option, and if the troops were withdrawn it would not be because they had been attacked. That decision was now in the hands of the political authorities. In the meantime, the SANDF would use “all means” to ensure the safety of its troops.

Asked whether the troops had been adequately equipped, Shoke pointed out they had not been deployed to fight the rebels, but to protect personnel and hardware already in the country. That the rebels had been forced to call a truce was part of the answer to this question, he suggested.

Defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman said any questions about how well South African paratroopers could fight had been answered emphatically. He had information that several hundred rebels had been killed.

The South African casualties had been evacuated quickly, given that Shoke had said the critically injured had arrived in South Africa on Sunday.

It was a “memorable victory” and withdrawing now would give the wrong impression, putting South African peacekeeping forces in other countries at greater risk of attack.

On the other hand, leaving the force in CAR without reinforcing it would be “inviting trouble”, he said.

While opposition political parties universally expressed their condolences with the families of the fallen soldiers, some called for the remaining troops to be called home.

DA spokesman on defence David Maynier said National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu should appoint a multiparty ad hoc committee to conduct an inquiry into the operation.

The “highly questionable deployment” had been “a complete disaster from the beginning”.

The official reason for it, to assist with capacity building of the CAR defence force, had never been plausible.

The probe should determine whether Zuma had authorised the deployment against the advice of Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the military command.

They had reportedly recommended that the 28 soldiers originally deployed in the CAR should be withdrawn. “The priority must therefore now be to withdraw the SANDF from the CAR,” Maynier said.

Freedom Front Plus defence spokesman Pieter Groenewald said the government should take full responsibility for the deaths of the South African soldiers.

It had “increasingly neglected” the SANDF by not making sufficient funds available for a professional and effective defence force.

IFP MP and defence spokesman Albert Mncwango said the party sent its “sincere condolences and deepest sympathies” to the families and colleagues of the slain soldiers.

ACDP MP Steve Swart said South Africans could “justifiably be very proud of our troops and their training”, which had been put to the test.

Political Bureau

Related Topics: