Image for illustrative purposes. Picture: Gallo Images. Members of the joint standing committee on defence in parliament and a senior South African National Defence Force (SANDF) official have clashed over a presentation given on Friday.
Committee members had expected a detailed briefing on the rotation of soldiers stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). What they received was a three-slide presentation that provided a bare-bones description of how the rotation would play out. The briefing was meant to explain the readiness of the logistical support needed for the upcoming Operation Mistral rotation.
Mistral is part of the SANDF’s commitment to the United Nation’s MONUSCO peacekeeping efforts in the DRC. MONUSCO is separate from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), although deployed in adjacent areas with a similar mandate. SANDF troops on deployment serve 12-month revolving stints, and a rotation was confirmed late in November.
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The committee wanted details on the rotation to avoid a repeat of the prolonged SAMIDRC withdrawal from earlier this year. SANDF chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Siphiwe Sangweni warned that the UN was “experiencing liquidity challenges”, which had led to a reduction in resources across all UN missions. “Consequently, MONUSCO has reduced a number of units and staff officers — military observers and military liaison officers — this year.” The SANDF’s presentation confirmed that the composite helicopter unit and the quick reaction force’s deployment underMONUSCOhad been discontinued.
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