No fear No Favour No Mercenaries......
PEACEKEEPERS OR MERCENARIES....?
2013-03-25 05:50
Erika Gibson
PRETORIA. – Minstens ses en selfs tot 20 Suid-Afrikaanse soldate het in die Sentraal-Afrikaanse Republiek (SAR) gesneuwel toe rebellemagte die hoofstad, Bangui, gisteroggend oorgeneem het.
“Swaar verliese” is gely, het ingeligtes in weermagkringe aan Volksblad gesê. Na wat verneem word, kan daar tot 40 gewondes wees, terwyl daar teen gistermiddag laat ook gerugte was van Suid-Afrikaanse soldate wat vermis of gevange geneem is.
Twee Suid-Afrikaanse Hercules C-130-vragvliegtuie het gister na Entebbe in Uganda vertrek om die gewondes en dooies na Suid-Afrika terug te bring.
’n Gehuurde Lear-straler is ook saam Entebbe toe met vermoedelik senior generaals aan boord.
Top-generaals van die weermag se gesamentlike operasiesentrum was gistermiddag in ’n noodvergadering in Pretoria, moontlik om ’n plan van aksie op te stel om die benarde situasie waarin die nagenoeg 600 Suid-Afrikaanse soldate hulself in die SAR bevind, te probeer beredder.
Die vraag is hoe gaan die Suid-Afrikaanse regering uit dié situasie kom en hoe gaan hy die oorblywende soldate uitkry, terwyl die lugmag beswaarlik drie C-130-vliegtuie diensbaar het.
Een groepering Suid-Afrikaners, bestaande uit valskermsoldate en spesiale magte, was voor die naweek buite die stad by ’n beheerpos op die hooftoevoerroete na die hoofstad ontplooi. Saterdagnag het die rebelle egter om dié beheerpos gesypel, wat daartoe gelei het dat die Suid-Afrikaners van die res van die magte afgesny is. Dit is dáár waar van die Suid-Afrikaners glo doodgeskiet of gevange geneem is. Die rebelle het gister in ’n televisie-onderhoud gesê hulle beskou die Suid-Afrikaanse soldate as huursoldate en sal hulle as sodanig hanteer.
Tweehonderd ekstra soldate is na verneem word Vrydagnag van die Waterkloof-lugmagbasis na Bangui gevlieg, maar hulle het blykbaar nie verder as die lughawe gekom nie. Die situasie is gister deur militêre kenners as “benard” beskryf. Die Suid-Afrikaners is sonder enige lugsteun in die SAR ontplooi, wat beteken hulle is aan die genade oorgelaat.
Pres. Francois Bozize van die SAR het gister saam met sy familie oor die Oubangui-rivier na die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo (DRK) gevlug.
Die Suid-Afrikaners, wat einde Desember en vroeg Januarie as ’n ingrypingsmag na die SAR toe gestuur is, was veronderstel om Bozize se paleis te beveilig.
Teen gistermiddag het die weermag net gemeld dat daar ongevalle was, maar nie gesê hoeveel nie. Frankryk het vroeër sowat 200 soldate in die land ontplooi om hul belange in die land te beskerm en het teen gister beheer oor die lughawe oorgeneem.
Volgens Helmoed-Römer Heitman, militêre kenner, sal Suid-Afrika waarskynlik sy trots in sy sak moet druk en die Franse om hulp vra. “Dít gaan ’n geweldige verleentheid vir die regering wees, maar ek glo nie enigiemand het gedink dat die operasie só verskriklik kon skeefloop nie,” het hy gesê.
Volksblad Nuus
COMMENTS BY SONNY
Is Zuma perhaps labour broking our SANDF Soldiers as "MERCENARIES" to despots for personalreasons or gratification?WHY CAN'T THE GOVERNMENT 'CHARTER' SAA FOR RESCUE REASONS TO CAR?THEY DO IT FOR SHOPPING TRIPS AND SPLURGING..........A "AFRICAN PEACE MISSION GONE TERRIBLY WRONG!"Is this just an extension of the ANC ARMS DEAL?....."get our troops out of harms way, now!".........."Zuma, you really seem to lead by example!".....BLOOD DIAMONDS FOREVER!!
PEACEKEEPERS OR MERCENARIES....?
Zuma should have withdrawn troops in CAR – Sandu
25 March 2013 9:15
President Jacob Zuma should have withdrawn South African troops when Central African Republic President Francois Bozize failed to honour a peace agreement, the SA National Defence Force Union (Sandu) has said.
“The president … should have withdrawn our troops at the very moment Bozize dishonoured his obligations in this respect,” Sandu national secretary Pikkie Greeff said in a statement today.
“His dishonouring of that agreement should have been the green light for the withdrawal of our troops from that country.”
Greeff called on Zuma to withdraw “our troops with immediate effect, even if it entails launching a military offense to relieve our troops in distress”.
Yesterday the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said South African soldiers were killed and injured during the clashes in the CAR.
“Following the engagement that we had between the SANDF members and the CAR rebels, there were some casualties from both sides,” Brig-Gen Xolani Mabanga said.
“We are at the moment still trying to assess the information from the people on the ground. We cannot, therefore, confirm any figures.”
However, some media reported that at least six South African soldiers have died.
Mabanga said the situation in the CAR was calm by yesterday afternoon and there was no threat to the lives of South African soldiers.
“But we don’t take anything lightly. We are taking all the precautionary measures.”
He said the contact between SANDF members and CAR rebel forces took place on Saturday.
The clashes happened at an SANDF base on the outskirts of Bangui, the CAR capital, along with other isolated incidents.
CAR President Francois Bozize fled the capital early yesterday after hundreds of armed rebels threatening to overthrow him invaded the city, the Associated Press reported.
By midday yesterday, the rebels reportedly took control of Bangui.
A peace deal was signed on January 11 which allowed Bozize to finish his term that expires in 2016, but the rebels soon began accusing the president of failing to fulfil the promises that were made.
They demanded that Bozize send home South African forces who were helping bolster the country’s military. And they sought to integrate some 2 000 rebel fighters into Central African Republic’s armed forces.
- Sapa
CITY PRESS
SA soldate afgemaai
SA soldate afgemaai
2013-03-25 05:50Erika Gibson
PRETORIA. – Minstens ses en selfs tot 20 Suid-Afrikaanse soldate het in die Sentraal-Afrikaanse Republiek (SAR) gesneuwel toe rebellemagte die hoofstad, Bangui, gisteroggend oorgeneem het.
“Swaar verliese” is gely, het ingeligtes in weermagkringe aan Volksblad gesê. Na wat verneem word, kan daar tot 40 gewondes wees, terwyl daar teen gistermiddag laat ook gerugte was van Suid-Afrikaanse soldate wat vermis of gevange geneem is.
Twee Suid-Afrikaanse Hercules C-130-vragvliegtuie het gister na Entebbe in Uganda vertrek om die gewondes en dooies na Suid-Afrika terug te bring.
’n Gehuurde Lear-straler is ook saam Entebbe toe met vermoedelik senior generaals aan boord.
Top-generaals van die weermag se gesamentlike operasiesentrum was gistermiddag in ’n noodvergadering in Pretoria, moontlik om ’n plan van aksie op te stel om die benarde situasie waarin die nagenoeg 600 Suid-Afrikaanse soldate hulself in die SAR bevind, te probeer beredder.
Die vraag is hoe gaan die Suid-Afrikaanse regering uit dié situasie kom en hoe gaan hy die oorblywende soldate uitkry, terwyl die lugmag beswaarlik drie C-130-vliegtuie diensbaar het.
Een groepering Suid-Afrikaners, bestaande uit valskermsoldate en spesiale magte, was voor die naweek buite die stad by ’n beheerpos op die hooftoevoerroete na die hoofstad ontplooi. Saterdagnag het die rebelle egter om dié beheerpos gesypel, wat daartoe gelei het dat die Suid-Afrikaners van die res van die magte afgesny is. Dit is dáár waar van die Suid-Afrikaners glo doodgeskiet of gevange geneem is. Die rebelle het gister in ’n televisie-onderhoud gesê hulle beskou die Suid-Afrikaanse soldate as huursoldate en sal hulle as sodanig hanteer.
Tweehonderd ekstra soldate is na verneem word Vrydagnag van die Waterkloof-lugmagbasis na Bangui gevlieg, maar hulle het blykbaar nie verder as die lughawe gekom nie. Die situasie is gister deur militêre kenners as “benard” beskryf. Die Suid-Afrikaners is sonder enige lugsteun in die SAR ontplooi, wat beteken hulle is aan die genade oorgelaat.
Pres. Francois Bozize van die SAR het gister saam met sy familie oor die Oubangui-rivier na die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo (DRK) gevlug.
Die Suid-Afrikaners, wat einde Desember en vroeg Januarie as ’n ingrypingsmag na die SAR toe gestuur is, was veronderstel om Bozize se paleis te beveilig.
Teen gistermiddag het die weermag net gemeld dat daar ongevalle was, maar nie gesê hoeveel nie. Frankryk het vroeër sowat 200 soldate in die land ontplooi om hul belange in die land te beskerm en het teen gister beheer oor die lughawe oorgeneem.
Volgens Helmoed-Römer Heitman, militêre kenner, sal Suid-Afrika waarskynlik sy trots in sy sak moet druk en die Franse om hulp vra. “Dít gaan ’n geweldige verleentheid vir die regering wees, maar ek glo nie enigiemand het gedink dat die operasie só verskriklik kon skeefloop nie,” het hy gesê.
Volksblad Nuus
Zuma should have withdrawn troops in CAR - Sandu
President Jacob Zuma should have withdrawn South African troops when Central African Republic President Francois Bozize failed to honour a peace agreement, the SA National Defence Force Union (Sandu) said on Monday.
25 March 2013 | Sapa
"The president... should have withdrawn our troops at the very moment Bozize dishonoured his obligations in this respect," Sandu national secretary Pikkie Greeff said in a statement.
"His dishonouring of that agreement should have been the green light for the withdrawal of our troops from that country."
Greeff called on Zuma to withdraw "our troops with immediate effect, even if it entails launching a military offense to relieve our troops in distress".
On Sunday the SA National Defence Force said South African soldiers were killed and injured during the clashes in the CAR.
"Following the engagement that we had between the SANDF members and the CAR rebels there were some casualties from both sides," Brig-Gen Xolani Mabanga said.
"We are at the moment still trying to assess the information from the people on the ground. We cannot therefore confirm any figures."
However, some media reported that at least six South African soldiers have died.
Mabanga said the situation in the CAR was calm by Sunday afternoon and there was no threat to the lives of South African soldiers.
"But we don't take anything lightly. We are taking all the precautionary measures."
He said the contact between SANDF members and CAR rebel forces took place on Saturday.
The clashes happened at an SANDF base on the outskirts of Bangui, the CAR capital, as well as other isolated incidents.
CAR President Francois Bozize fled the capital early on Sunday after hundreds of armed rebels threatening to overthrow him invaded the city, the Associated Press reported.
By midday on Sunday the rebels reportedly took control of Bangui.
A peace deal was signed on January 11 which allowed Bozize to finish his term that expires in 2016, but the rebels soon began accusing the president of failing to fulfil the promises that were made.
They demanded that Bozize send home South African forces who were helping bolster the country's military.
And they sought to integrate some 2000 rebel fighters into Central African Republic's armed forces.
The Citizen
COMMENTS BY SONNY
Is Zuma perhaps labour broking our SANDF Soldiers as "MERCENARIES" to despots for personalreasons or gratification?WHY CAN'T THE GOVERNMENT 'CHARTER' SAA FOR RESCUE REASONS TO CAR?THEY DO IT FOR SHOPPING TRIPS AND SPLURGING..........A "AFRICAN PEACE MISSION GONE TERRIBLY WRONG!"Is this just an extension of the ANC ARMS DEAL?....."get our troops out of harms way, now!".........."Zuma, you really seem to lead by example!".....BLOOD DIAMONDS FOREVER!!
ReplyDeleteStatement by President Jacob Zuma on the eve of the hosting of the 5th BricsSummitSefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, Pretoria25 March 2013Ministers and Deputy Ministers,Members of the Media, Thank you for attending this media briefing ahead of the historic 5
th
BRICS Summitwhich is being held on South African soil for the first time. But before we discussthat important matter, allow me to give a short briefing on the tragedy that hasbefallen our nation, the death of our soldiers in the Central African Republic.On 31 December 2012, I sent Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to theCentral African Republic to assess the security environment and general situation,which was tense after the Seleka Rebel Coalition launched an armed campaign on10 December. The report from that mission recommended an intervention.On the 2
nd
of January 2013 in my capacity as the Commander in Chief of the armedforces, I authorised the employment of up to 400 South African National DefenceForce (SANDF) soldiers to the Central African Republic (CAR), but had sent justabove 200 thus far. The employment was authorised in accordance with theprovisions of section 201 (2) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,1996. This was in fulfilment of a bilateral cooperation agreement.South Africa and the Central African Republic signed a military cooperationagreement in 2007, which was renewed for a further five years in December 2012.
25 March 2013 22:00