MEDIA STATEMENT REGARDING SANDF TROOPS INVOLVED IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC REBEL ATTACKS
SUNDAY 24 MARCH 2013
The South African National Defence Force Union (SANDU) has taken note of reports that at least 6 South African soldiers have been killed in clashes with rebels in the Central African Republic over the past 24 hours. These reports have circulated in the international media for at least the past 6 hours without the SANDF or SA government being willing or able to confirm same (see Reuters report).
It needs to be noted that our troops have remained in that country from an initial deployment plan to assist in bringing about peaceful transition to democracy, notwithstanding the fact that the now deposed President Bozize had failed to honour a peace agreement in January 2013. The President of SA Jacob Zuma should have withdrawn our troops at the very moment Bozize dishonoured his obligations in this respect.
The Bozize regime is notorious for its corruption, nepotism and maladministration of the government of the Central African Republic. His dishonouring of that agreement should have been the green light for the withdrawal of our troops from that country. SA had no further business being in a country governed by a crooked dictator.