118 SA troops stranded in DRC
04/05/2004 22:16__-_(SA)__
Pretoria - A total of 118 South African soldiers were stranded at Ndjili Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday after there was a misunderstanding with the crew of an Air Zimbabwe plane.
The soldiers were from a United Nations peacekeeping force and were to have returned home earlier this week after almost seven months in the DRC.
The Air Zimbabwe plane was to have flown them home in accordance with an arrangement with the UN.
However, when the plane landed the crew failed to use UN coding when contacting the control tower, using civilian codes instead.
In addition, the name of the airline had been painted over and this made the DRC airport staff suspicious, said Colonel Kwena Mangope of the South African defence force.
The authorities seized the plane while DRC officials, the UN and the South African contingent apparently exchanged harsh words.
Will have to await another flight
The soldiers spent Tuesday at the airport in the scorching sun waiting to hear when they would be flown home, while their families worried back home.
The soldiers' luggage had been flown home earlier. Replacements had also stepped in and taken over from the group.
According to Mangope, AerSud Charter had made the Zimbabwean plane available.
This is not the first time the company's planes have been used to transport South African soldiers.
He said the charter company had offered the best price. He also said the soldiers would be taken to a camp in Kinshasa where they would wait for another flight.
A South African air force Boeing 707, that landed in Kinshasa on Tuesday was unable to pick up the soldiers as it had another schedule to keep.
This flight was apparently transporting cargo, which meant it was unable to pick up passengers.
Mangope said UN representatives, members of the South African contingent in the DRC and diplomats from the South African embassy were still embroiled in talks to have the Air Zimbabwe plane released late on Tuesday afternoon.
118 SA troops stranded in DRC 