AfricaBreakingDailyGeneralHotWorld

South Africa Soldiers Death: Hundreds pay tribute to troops killed in the Central Africa Republic / Africa News

Soth-Africa-troops-killedHundreds of people including President Jacob Zuma have paid an emotional tribute to the 13 soldiers killed in the recent rebellion in the Central African Republic.

The final memorial and burial rites took place in an aircraft hanger at the Swartkop air base in the South Africa administrative capital Pretoria.

At the memorial service, President Zuma said the soldiers died in the Central Africa Republic capital Bangui defending South Africa’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in Africa.

“We salute them and honor them for the supreme sacrifice they have paid for the achievement of peace in Africa,” Mr. Zuma said at the memorial service.

South Africa’s foreign policy was premised on the “vision of building a better Africa, a better world”, he added.

The 13 soldiers were killed in Bangui as rebels seized power more than a week ago in the Central Africa Republic forcing President Francois Bozize to flee to Benin.

The governing party of South Africa the Africa National Congress party has rejected accusations that the country’s troops were in the Central Africa Republic because it has mining interests there.

Leader of the main opposition party in South Africa Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance Party on Tuesday called for the withdrawal of the country’s troops from the Central Africa Republic.

But president Zuma said at the memorial service that no individual or group should use the country’s defense system to play to the public gallery because of political expediency.

“No country discusses its military strategy in public in the manner in which South Africa is expected to do, those who are engaging in this game should be careful not to endanger both the national interest and the security of the Republic while pursuing party political goals,” President Zuma said.

The ruling Africa National Congress has threatened the Mail and Guardian newspaper with legal action for claiming that the country’s troops were deployed to defend its mining interests in the Central Africa Republic which has gold and uranium deposit.

It accused the paper of urinating “on the graves of gallant fighters who put their lives on the line in service of our country and our continent”.

Apart from  the 13 soldiers killed, another 27 soldiers were injured – the highest number of casualties suffered by South Africa’s army since white minority rule ended in 1994, according to political analyst in South Africa.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

[adrotate banner=”41″]

 

 

More

Related Articles

Bir yanıt yazın

Başa dön tuşu
Breaking News