South Africa (catch all)

[davidbfpo]

Hat tip to Zenpundit for Eeben Barlow's commentary 'Failing to Listen', which talks about the difficulties in getting intelligence accepted and touches upon what happened in the CAR:http://eebenbarlowsmilitaryandsecuri...to-listen.html

A taster:

...not only was the overall SANDF strategy flawed but that the strategy had its foundation resting on poor intelligence – and no strategy can succeed if it is developed off assumptions and rumours.

[AdamG]

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has paid tribute to 13 soldiers killed in the recent rebellion in the Central African Republic (CAR). At the memorial service, he said they died in CAR's capital Bangui defending South Africa's commitment to promoting peace and stability in Africa. The soldiers were killed as rebels seized power more than a week ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22003412

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille’s announcement that her party will present a motion in parliament Tuesday to demand the withdrawal of South African troops, comes amid increasingly angry debate over why the soldiers were deployed to Central African Republic at all, and suggestions they were sent to protect mining interests of South Africa’s governing African National Congress. The ANC denies it has any business in the country rich in diamonds, uranium and other resources.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...8f1_story.html

A South African newspaper, the Mail & Guardian, widened the division by alleging that the soldiers were sent to CAR to protect the business interests of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The ANC has dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

"We reject any insinuation that these soldiers were sent to CAR for any reason other than in the pursuit of national interests and the interests of the African continent," President Zuma said.

http://www.dw.de/south-africa-bids-f...ers/a-16715108

Also
http://www.theworld.org/2013/04/outr...ican-republic/

[davidbfpo]

TV-PressPass asked two days ago:

Must have been a hell of a time for SANDF. Did they get out? I haven't seen anything since then about them actually leaving successfully.

This BBC report states the SANDF are to leave, although very little detail:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22025593

Those killed had a military funeral yesterday in Pretoria and the furore over the mission remain. It is noticeable how little reporting there is from CAR, for example no footage of the SANDF or even a map showing were the clash happened, which of course might show this was not a training mission.

I suspect South Africa has had to talk to the new regime in CAR, much against its inclination, then negotiate an exit and rely on the French at the Bangui airport.

The "smoke & mirrors" aspects are covered in this:http://mg.co.za/article/2013-03-28-0...diers-died-for and an opposition South African newspaper Mail & Guardian has extensive coverage:http://mg.co.za/report/the-battle-of-bangui

[davidbfpo]

In a BBC report on CAR this phrase:

South Africa, which lost at least 13 troops during the rebel takeover, has said it is pulling its forces out of CAR.

This is odd, no strange.

Others are going in:

The Central African Republic's neighbours have agreed to send an extra 2,000 troops to help restore security following last month's rebel takeover.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22197108

[davidbfpo]

The following passage is from a Reuters article on Chad's emergence as a regional power:

In Central African Republic, Chad's decisive role in the change of government exposed South Africa's pretension of acting as a continental superpower. Pretoria had sent a contingent of some 400 troops to prop up President Francois Bozize.

Deby, who had helped Bozize seize power in a 2003 coup, had tired of Bozize's refusal to share power with the opposition which was stirring up a revolt along Chad's southern border.

The final straw came when Bozize disbanded his Chadian bodyguard and turned to South Africa for military aid. Deby ordered Chad's peacekeepers to step aside and Seleka rebel forces stormed the capital, as France made good on its promise not to intervene militarily.

South Africa's involvement ended with 13 of its soldiers killed, showing Pretoria lacked the regional knowledge and military resources to play a decisive role in Deby's backyard.

Link:http://mobile.reuters.com/article/id...30508?irpc=932

[davidbfpo]

A very different, detailed report by a long-time, respected South African military commentator; 40 pgs in an e-book:

Based on interviews with a number of the officers involved in the mission, both from HQ in Pretoria and on the ground in Bangui, South Africa’s leading military writer and a long-time correspondent for Jane’s Defence Weekly, Helmoed Heitman describes what happened in Bangui, why President Zuma sent the troops, and what lessons South Africa needs to take out of the events in the CAR. In The Battle in Bangui, Heitman tells the inside story of one of the hardest fought and deadliest operations of the SANDF’s post-apartheid history.What if everything you thought you knew about the Battle of Bangui was wrong? What if there were good reasons for the SANDF to be in the Central African Republic? What if they acquitted themselves well, with valour and resourcefulness?

Link:http://www.mampoer.co.za/helmoed-hei...ttle-in-bangui

Or search on Google for free access copy, where I found it on:www.4x4community.co.za/forum

A short review excerpt:

Heitman has no problems with the manner in which the South African soldiers acquitted themselves in the fighting earlier this year. “Do not blame the soldiers and junior leaders: they are doing their best and their best is quite often outstanding,” he says.

He also exonerates the generals for deploying small and/or under-armed forces.

“They can only do the best with what they have. And what they have in terms of the numbers of soldiers, the type of equipment and support capabilities is simply inadequate for the role South Africa’s government wishes to play (in Africa).

“If there is blame it must go to the politicians who starve the Defence Force financially and then expect it to work miracles,” he writes.

Link:http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...316&Itemid=141

[TV-PressPass]

Just starting to read through and follow along on google maps.

Looks like an interesting analysis from the excerpts I've seen.

[TV-PressPass]

The force commander now wanted to use his mobile Special Forces group to drive the enemy further back, but found that the FACA element at the position had parked a bulldozer on the bridge to block it. It took some time to find the driver and move the vehicle, but then the Special Forces began to patrol north to clear the area in front of the position.

Well that would be frustrating. I can't see the bridge being described, but everything else has been clear to follow along with.

Interesting how detailed some of the specifics are. Wonder who all Heitman interviewed?