New threat to troops

AS President Jacob Zuma paid his final respects to the 13 soldiers killed in the Central African Republic last week, warning civilians not to question ''military matters'', it has emerged that South Africa is set to become embroiled in another potentially deadly conflict.

The Times learned yesterday that thousands of South African soldiers, along with troops from Malawi and Tanzania, are to be deployed in July to the Democratic Republic of Congo's volatile east.

Hundreds of South African soldiers, along with military hardware, had reportedly been deployed to Uganda to help the embattled troops in the CAR, whose positions were overrun by rebels last week.

Last night, the SA National Defence Union said many of the troops based in CAR had been withdrawn to the neighbouring DRC, possibly to retaliate against CAR's Seleka rebels, who overthrew the government of President François Bozizé.

The latest troops earmarked for the DRC, whose exact numbers are yet unknown, are to form a rapid intervention brigade to face off thousands of heavily armed rebels involved in fierce fighting in the strife-torn eastern part of the Congo.

Their main target is the M23 rebel group, which has declared the planned deployment in the DRC an "act of war".

M23 fighters earlier this year overran hundreds of South African soldiers deployed in the strategic eastern DRC town of Goma, in fighting that displaced thousands and in which more than 100 civilians were killed and there was rampant raping and looting.

M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa said on Monday: "Instead of encouraging a political solution by supporting the political negotiations . the UN has chosen to wage war against one of the partners of peace."

On Thursday, the UN security council adopted a resolution to reinforce the 19 000-strong UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC.

The new intervention brigade, supported by SADC's peace and security body, will consist of 3 000 troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania.

South Africa already has more 1000 troops deployed under the UN flag in the DRC.

The country has been left reeling by the deaths of elite paratroops in CAR, and the wounding of 27 others, in what is the worst military setback suffered by democratic South Africa. The government is being grilled about the real reasons for the deployments of troops to that country.

Though the government insists the more than 200 paratroops deployed to CAR were a protection force for the dozens of SA National Defence Force trainers in that country since 2007, some of the soldiers evacuated after last week's skirmishes claimed the troops were involved in guarding private South African business assets.

Zuma lashed out at critics of the CAR mission yesterday: "Nowhere in the world does a defence force discuss its tactics . military matters are not social matters and I hope for the sake of the country and national security, South Africans will not cross this line.

"There are attempts to distort and cast doubt over our involvement in CAR . the troops died [for] a worthy cause, in defence of our foreign policy and the promotion of peace," he said.

SANDF spokesman Brigadier-General Xolani Mabanga last night confirmed the defence force was awaiting instructions from the government on the deployment of additional forces to the DRC.

Mabanga said when the situation in the eastern DRC had deteriorated earlier this year, several SADC meetings were held and it was decided that an intervention force was needed.

Military analyst Helmoed Heitman said last night the principle of sending additional forces to the DRC made sense.

''The forces currently there are too weak. But what is concerning is where the air support, air reconnaissance and attack aircraft will come from. We can do this for the short term, but not for the long term. We do not have the necessary logistical airlift capabilities . We simply have no grasp of strategy in this country. We desperately need to come to grips with what we are trying to do and why," he said.

SANDU general secretary Pikkie Greeff said, in principle, the union had no problem with the troops going to the DRC as long as there was a proper mandate and they had the necessary logistical support.

The concern was where the troops would come from, he said.

"The M23 are hardened soldiers used to extreme and bloody fighting. Our concern is that a number of our battalions are not at full strength, which will make this mission very difficult and potentially deadly."