SA parliament approves team for DRC

The South African Cabinet has given the go-ahead for a team from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to take part in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Joel Netshitenzhe, government spokesman, said at a media briefing on Wednesday that the earliest possible date for their deployment was the 26 June. He said that an assessment by South Africa and the UN would determine the final date. "Special elements from our defence force will be deployed at the peace mission headquarters and sector headquarters in Kinshasa and the logistical support base in the Central African Republic," he said. Netshitenzhe said that the Cabinet had not yet considered a UN request to contribute ground troops to the UN peacekeeping mission. He said that a team of 23 people would be deployed in six sectors ranging from flight operations and air traffic control to logistics and medical support, and that pre-deployment activities would begin on 21 June.