Are South Africa鈥檚 troops prepared for the DRC peacekeeping mission?
Opposition parties want president Cyril Ramaphosa to withdraw the country鈥檚 troops from the DRC after two soldiers were recently killed. They say they are not well equipped.
鈥淪outh African deployment of soldiers to DRC is out of order. It must be withdrawn with immediate effect. Not that South Africa is not supposed to deploy in DRC. We [are] supposed to deploy in the DRC and be in the forefront. We just don鈥檛 have the army鈥� 鈥� Julius Malema, EFF leader
The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo is affecting several African nations. Just recently, Africa Daily produced a podcast demonstrating how tensions between Burundi and Rwanda are tied to the conflict in the DRC. And now, it鈥檚 South Africans who鈥檝e been affected.
Local opposition parties insist that their nation鈥檚 army lacks the intended weapons, drones and mortar groups to protect them. It comes after two of the troops were killed in a mortar strike in eastern DRC. They were part of 2, 900 soldiers deployed to that country for a peacekeeping mission.
So, is South Africa up for this operation? Why does president Cyril Ramaphosa鈥檚 government feel so strongly about having a presence in the DRC? What鈥檚 in it for them? But also, who decides which countries should be part of such missions?
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