If we leave, everybody has to leave.
These were the words of at least one expert in light of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where at least 13 South African National Defence soldiers have died recently.
The fighting in the eastern DRC intensified due to escalations by the rebel group M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), leading to direct attacks on peacekeepers from the SADC (Southern African Development Community) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).
Despite mounting pressure to withdraw troops, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga instead on Wednesday noted that the SA National Defence Force's (SANDF) camps in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had not been attacked in the last 48 hours.
While the SANDF has maintained it remained fully committed to its peacekeeping responsibilities under the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.
Motshekga provided the latest report on the situation in Goma in Pretoria, where the Cabinet Lekgotla is currently taking place.
South Africa has called for a ceasefire in the region, the minister confirmed, saying a war cannot be won through arms but “it can only be won if we sit down and negotiate”.
“We have called for a ceasefire; I can assure South Africans now that our camps have not been attacked for the past 48 hours.”
The minister added that President Cyril Ramaphosa has also issued a warning to Rwanda, saying continued hostilities against SANDF members would be taken as a declaration of war. Rwanda is accused of fighting alongside M23 rebels.
According to Motshekga, the reason why some of the SANDF members died was that Rwandan forces were fighting with the DRC forces and were caught up in the middle.
“Unfortunately for us, the DRC forces were fighting with the Rwandan forces over our heads, that’s where we lost our people.
“So, we had to quickly communicate with M23 (rebels) to say we are not part of the battle so don’t fire over our heads. We agreed with them that we will hold a white flag to say we are not part of the battle,” she said.
This was because the M23 rebels needed a passage to go collect their deceased troops, she said.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa separately said South Africa’s military presence in the eastern DRC was “not a declaration of war against any country or state”.
“The members of the South African National Defence Force that are in the DRC are part of both SADC and United Nations efforts to bring peace and protect thousands of lives that are constantly threatened by the conflict in the DRC. We welcome the position that was recently adopted by the United Nations Security Council during its special sitting on the situation in the DRC, which calls for an immediate end to hostilities, the reversal of territorial expansion by the M23, the exit of external forces from the DRC and the resumption of peace talks under the Nairobi Process,” the president said.
Stellenbosch University Military Science Professor Francois Vrey explained that there were many factors involved concerning a decision to withdraw troops or send reinforcements, but ultimately the decision was a political one.
“Politicians must decide enough is enough and the other part is the military decision makers must ensure that the troops are supported to make a stand and if they can't, that there’s a credible safe way to get them out.
“The other difficulty is if you have already put in place the regimes for flying in and sending in reinforcements, the political negotiations that's going on that could say this and there will be a a ceasefire on any confrontation with the SADC forces having imposed on M23 then that creates a situation where you can reinforce the contingent on that side, whether the other SADC countries are going to reinforce is a different question. If it's a matter that we can't reinforce, we called get there, we do not have reserves to reinforce then that... creates stronger and stronger arguments (to) bring those (soldiers) back or bring them out of the hostility to a safer location where you can reorganise re-equip and go back again. Staying or leaving is a political decision.
He said reputation and risk management were also factors to take into account.
“If South Africa walks away from that mission, the mission is dead, the other countries will have to leave as well.”
Stellenbosch University professor, Abel Esterhuyse questioned the purpose of the mission.
Esterhuyse said: “It is well known the South African military is not in the position to support our troops logistically with air power, medically and with intelligence, so it leaves a lot of questions in the air in terms of the position that our forces are in the DRC and precisely what they are doing there. Is government going to reinforce?”
Cape Times