Southern African Development Community
South Africa to deploy 2,900 Troops to Eastern Congo
(Bloomberg) --South Africa will deploy 2,900 troops to help fight armed groups in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a Southern African Development Community initiative.
The cost of the yearlong deployment will be just over 2 billion rand ($106 million), the South African Presidency said in a statement on Monday.
The deployment of troops from SADC comes as United Nations peacekeepers, which included South African soldiers, prepare to withdraw from the troubled region and an East African force exits after tensions with Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi.
“The obligation to contribute troops is borne by all SADC member states,” the presidency said. SADC is a 16-member group of countries including Congo.
The presidency didn’t say how the deployment, which will be in place until 15 December, will be funded but said it won’t affect the usual operations of the South African National Defence Force.
Tanzania and Malawi are also contributing soldiers to the force, known as SAMIDRC.
SADC troops began arriving in December and are already involved in operations against the M23 rebel group, Congo has said.
Congo says M23, which is led mainly by Congolese members of the Tutsi group, is supported by neighboring Rwanda. United Nations experts say members of the Rwandan Defence Force also provide support to the group in Congo. Rwanda denies backing the group.
M23 says it’s protecting Tutsis from discrimination in Congo and fighting Rwandan rebels in the country who have links to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Now the SA taxpayers must bear the cost again for war-monger countries to the North who wilALWAYS be at war!!!!!
should they rather not try quell crime on the cape flats, and dieplsloot etc
…….. Yet the ANC Government has ZERO POLITICAL WILL to utilise the SANDF to protect their own Citizens from the GANGLAND VIOLENCE of the Western Cape!
Similarly, the same 2900 odd SANDF Troops could also easily be deployed to finally DESTROY the ZAMA ZAMAs and provide the necessary protection to their own Citizens of Gauteng!
As mentioned, ZERO POLITICAL WILL, to Improve the Lives of SA Citizens!
Are the ANC’s Financial Interests in the DRC & Congo regions being protected by SA Taxpayer Funds or are we to believe anything of substance from the Minister of Defence, who could not even Run a Simple Animal Farm ! – pun intended
Bob F. – 12th February 2024 at 11:03
South African Defence Force could not or would not manage the riots and looting in Kwa Zulu Natal and Gauteng so how on earth will they deal with a war situation is in another country?
What about our own citizens ? 75 murders a day and criminals running riot ! People, think very carefully about your vote, we have to get rid of this hopeless government. Inform yourselves, don’t just do the ‘same old, same old’ formula.