As International Relations and Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola warned that the ongoing armed conflicts between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could turn into a full-blown war, a retired army general said he had received information about how deployed South African soldiers were coping.
Lamola told journalists at the Cabinet Lekgotla yesterday that they were concerned about a possible regional war.
At least 13 SANDF troops died during a fight with M23 rebels in the DRC.
A retired SANDF brigadier speaking on condition of anonymity said he had been in contact with some of the soldiers who told him that they are almost “trapped”.
“One soldier told me that they have been told by the M23 that if they (South African soldiers) want to go to the shops, they must communicate with the M23, and the M23 will escort them. To me, it means the M23 is in charge and our soldiers are almost trapped,” he said.
The brigadier said Congo had missed many opportunities in the past 15 years to boost its army. He said around 2005, the SANDF had trained about 1 000 (brigade) Congolese soldiers and had, over the years, been training that amount of soldiers.
“They could have been able to secure and defend their own borders,” he said.
Meanwhile Lamola said there was concern that a “danger exists or a possibility exists of a full-blown regional war”.
It is for that reason that all the institutions of the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), including the East Africa community, have made all of them have a resolution of a tripartite engagement, of all these institutions,” he said.
Lamola stressed that immediate intervention was needed to stabilise the situation in the DRC.
On Wednesday, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga said President Cyril Ramaphosa warned Rwanda that shooting at South African soldiers would be considered war.
In response, Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused officials of lying to citizens, saying “Ramaphosa has never given a ‘warning’ of any kind, unless it was delivered in his local language which I do not understand.”
“He did ask for support to ensure the South African force has adequate electricity, food and water, which we shall help communicate,” said Kagame.
Former DA MP Kobus Marais, who is an independent defence analyst, said the South African soldiers’ families were growing increasingly concerned.
“I received a call from an employer whose staff member is a relative of a soldier who is in the DRC. They were wanting to know how they can find out about the well-being of their relative. I have told them the best way is to contact the base where the soldiers normally are in South Africa, and that base can give them an update,” said Marais.
This is not South Africa’s war, he added.