TMG Digital reports that hundreds of South African troops are to be deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) "triangle of death"‚ and their conduct there will come under close scrutiny.
In a farewell to the troops on Monday outside Bloemfontein‚ Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula hammered home the point of discipline. Addressing the 850 soldiers from 5 South African Infantry Battalion‚ who are to be deployed as part of the UN’s Force Intervention Brigade in the eastern DRC‚ Mapisa-Nqakula said she would not tolerate "nonsense" from the troops. "I do not want to hear of you starting relationships with people in your deployment area because you will be in violation of these rules. These people are vulnerable and look up to you as their protectors." Mapisa-Nqakula’s warning follows a 2015 UN report, which revealed that SA peacekeepers were among the worst when it came to sexual predators in UN peacekeeping missions.
- Read this report by Graeme Hosken in full at BusinessLive
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