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24th Mar 2013 from TwitLonger

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.

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 The President of SA Jacob Zuma should have withdrawn our troops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.

Now that Bozize has jumped ship like a coward our troops are left in
his mismanaged capital under staffed and under equipped against the
onslaught of rebels who by far outnumber and outgun our soldiers.Pres
Zuma is called upon to withdraw our troops with immediate effect, even
it entails launching a military offense to relieve our troops in
distress.

It is absolutely scandelous that the SANDF has taken 5 hours to inform
the public in SA of the casualties of our troops and now appears to
insist that it is still 'under investigation'. Clearly this situation
has politically backfired on Zuma and the SANDF is attempting to save
his image instead of informing the public of the gravity of the danger
in which our troops have been placed foir the sake of allegiance to a
cowardly crook. The SANDF will forever be tainted for dithering in the
face of a full scale crisis.

Zuma is obliged to inform parliament and the entire nation of the
status of the situation. This is not a little political secret to keep
under the vail of national security. SA has a right to know the extent
of our troops' exposure and the steps Zuma is taking to fix what
appears to be more and more the result of his questionable judgment.

JG GREEFF NATIONAL SECRETARY SANDU

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