Africa to remain SA army's beat

[dArKeR]

By Jani Meyer

Join the army and see the world - or at least Africa.

Scores of South African soldiers have been deployed as peacekeepers in trouble spots in Africa, and with the government having set aside millions of rands, locals will continue to serve outside the country.

Since 2002 the number of soldiers deployed in Burundi has doubled from 700 to 1 461.

There are also 1 433 South African soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the SANDF, there are 13 media liaison officers, 138 specialists and 1 281 troops deployed in the DRC.

Len le Roux, head of the Defence Sector Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, said the government had budgeted an additional R1.1 billion for peacekeeping operations over the next three years.

In Burundi, the SANDF has a protection force to oversee the peace process and to provide protection to exiled political leaders returning to the country.


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