Gunship
3rd Mar 2005, 11:55
From News 24Johannesburg - The deployment of South African troops to strife-torn
Darfur in Sudan is under way, the defence department said on Thursday.
"They left this morning at ten to seven," SA National Defence Force
spokesperson Colonel John Rolt said.
A second group would leave on Saturday and the last on Monday, Rolt
added.
The troops were supposed to have left on Monday.
Ministerial spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said on Tuesday the delay was
related to a logistical hold-up, most likely a hiccup in the arranging
of over-flight rights for the SA Air Force Boeing 707 aircraft that
would be used to transport the troops to Sudan.
On Monday, Colonel Johan van der Walt told parliament's defence
committee the departure of the 186 soldiers from the Infantry Protector
Company was due to delaying tactics by the Sudanese government.
"But the deployment was delayed because the troops did not have
passports and visas, as now required by the Sudanese government," he
said.
Mkhwanazi later on Monday denied the Sudanese government were using
delaying tactics, saying relations between South Africa and Sudan were
good.
Speaking after the committee meeting on Monday, Rear Admiral Edward
Ratala, director of operations at the SANDF's Joint Operations
Division, said the African Union (AU) had initially been told by the
Sudanese government no passports were needed, and visas could be
obtained on arrival.
"But now they have confronted us with no-fly zones - not permitting
our troops to fly over certain areas - and say they must have visas
before departure," Ratala told Sapa at the time. :E ($$$) :E
South Africa was expected to send about 300 troops over the course of
this week to the region, he said.
The AU has a mandate to send 3 320 troops from various African
countries to the region to "investigate, report and monitor" on events.
Van der Walt told the committee that after numerous visits to the
region, he felt the Sudanese government was "turning a blind eye to the
atrocities in Sudan".
He said a camp outside the city of El Fasher - AU headquarters, and
the provincial capital of Sudan's North Darfur region - was now home to
60 000 refugees.
Most of the South African contingent would be based in the town of
Katum, about 200km north-west of El Fasher.
I am sure I could hear the 707 from ACC ;) Eischhh THOSE where the days ..
Darfur in Sudan is under way, the defence department said on Thursday.
"They left this morning at ten to seven," SA National Defence Force
spokesperson Colonel John Rolt said.
A second group would leave on Saturday and the last on Monday, Rolt
added.
The troops were supposed to have left on Monday.
Ministerial spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said on Tuesday the delay was
related to a logistical hold-up, most likely a hiccup in the arranging
of over-flight rights for the SA Air Force Boeing 707 aircraft that
would be used to transport the troops to Sudan.
On Monday, Colonel Johan van der Walt told parliament's defence
committee the departure of the 186 soldiers from the Infantry Protector
Company was due to delaying tactics by the Sudanese government.
"But the deployment was delayed because the troops did not have
passports and visas, as now required by the Sudanese government," he
said.
Mkhwanazi later on Monday denied the Sudanese government were using
delaying tactics, saying relations between South Africa and Sudan were
good.
Speaking after the committee meeting on Monday, Rear Admiral Edward
Ratala, director of operations at the SANDF's Joint Operations
Division, said the African Union (AU) had initially been told by the
Sudanese government no passports were needed, and visas could be
obtained on arrival.
"But now they have confronted us with no-fly zones - not permitting
our troops to fly over certain areas - and say they must have visas
before departure," Ratala told Sapa at the time. :E ($$$) :E
South Africa was expected to send about 300 troops over the course of
this week to the region, he said.
The AU has a mandate to send 3 320 troops from various African
countries to the region to "investigate, report and monitor" on events.
Van der Walt told the committee that after numerous visits to the
region, he felt the Sudanese government was "turning a blind eye to the
atrocities in Sudan".
He said a camp outside the city of El Fasher - AU headquarters, and
the provincial capital of Sudan's North Darfur region - was now home to
60 000 refugees.
Most of the South African contingent would be based in the town of
Katum, about 200km north-west of El Fasher.
I am sure I could hear the 707 from ACC ;) Eischhh THOSE where the days ..