SA may be asked for troops in CAR again

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Durban - President Jacob Zuma is to attend a meeting of central African leaders and international organisations in Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo, on Friday when he may be asked to send South African troops back to the Central African Republic.

The meeting of the Contact Group on the CAR was to decide how to restore stability, security, respect for human rights and democracy in the country, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation said on Wednesday.

Thirteen South African parabats were killed by Seleka rebels as they took control of the country on May 23 and 24. The country has still not recovered from the chaos caused by this change of power.  

Zuma said last week that he had received a "verbal" request to contribute troops to a force which the Economic Community of Central African States (Eccas) had decided to send into the Central African Republic to restore order.

He said the government would consider the request if it was presented formally, and his spokesman, Mac Maharaj, added that such a request would be considered "sympathetically".

Eccas, the AU and the UN are members of the Contact Group.

The department's statement said the AU's position was that there could be no recognition of any government that came to power through unconstitutional means.

However, after Seleka took power, the central African states organisation had had to recognise "a transitional structure" that had been put in place to govern the Central African Republic's pending elections.

The department said Zuma would convey South Africa's position at the Brazzaville meeting, which was "not to be party to any internal conflict in the CAR".

South Africa's role in the country was to assist in capacity building and training under a legal framework in compliance with South Africa's domestic legislation and resolutions of the AU and the UN.

The South African government would continue to play a positive and constructive role in conflict resolution and peace-building efforts, guided by the vision of an African continent that was peaceful, prosperous and democratic.

The department said South Africa recognised the Central African Republic's transitional government, based on the January 2013 agreement ceasefire signed in Libreville, Gabon.

In December, Zuma sent Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to the  republic to assess the security environment and general situation which became tense after the Seleka armed campaign. The report from that mission recommended an intervention.

On January 2, Zuma authorised the deployment of up to 400 South African soldiers, but only 200 were sent.

(Additional reporting by Sapa)

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