SA 'not an island', says Ramaphosa in defence of SANDF deployment to DRC
President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the ongoing deployment of South African troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after two soldiers died in a mortar bomb attack on Wednesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers an address at the Cape Town Press Club on 15 February. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the ongoing deployment of South African troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after two soldiers died in a mortar bomb attack on Wednesday.
Ramaphosa recently authorised the deployment of 2,900 more soldiers to the country to help fend off attacks by M23 rebels in the east.
On Thursday, Ramaphosa hit back at opposition party claims that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) was too under resourced to assist, after one of its helicopters was recently shot down in the DRC.
He said the military had the requisite hardware to respond to civil war in the DRC.
"South Africa has to play its own role in securing peace on our continent and silence the guns and this is one of the things we have to do."
Ramaphosa said the security situation in the eastern DRC would be under discussion at the African Union’s 37th ordinary session of heads of state and government, which he will attend in Ethiopia this weekend.
"We are not an island, we are in a community of a number of sister countries and when one sister country faces challenges, such as security, the community takes a decision and we are expected to deploy and come to the aid of that country."