The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) announced this morning that some of its personnel would be withdrawn from duty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for indiscipline. More information will be posted as we learn further details. An announcement from the SANDF released earlier today read as follows:
“The SANDF would like to confirm that it is in a process of withdrawing some of its members who are deployed in the eastern DRC as part the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Congo (MONUSCO). The members were found to have acted in a manner that compromised the security of SANDF members deployed in the area by breaching or violating the SANDF Military Discipline Supplementary Measures Act (No 16 of 1999) and Code of Conduct as well as United Nations Code of Conduct for Peacekeepers. The members will face military judicial system as soon as all necessary administration and processes have been finalised.
The SANDF strongly condemns any acts of ill-discipline by its members and will take necessary steps to ensure that corrective measures are taken accordingly. At all times members of the SANDF are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with all prescripts of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the Defence Act and the principles of international laws regulating the use of force. It must also be born in mind that the Constitution stipulates that the SANDF must be managed as disciplined force.”
he South African peacekeepers of the MONUSCO Force Intervention Brigade patrol the town of Pinga as part of a mission to secure the area. Photo MONUSCO / Marie Frechon