Pretoria to lead peacekeeping - if UN pays

South Africa would be prepared to lead UN-sponsored peacekeeping missions in Africa, AFP reported on Tuesday, quoting Defence Minister Mosioua Lekota. “The expectations of African countries for South Africa to play a leading role, not just diplomatically but in the military ... are huge,” Lekota told reporters at a briefing in parliament. “So we are going to need to intensify training in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for peacekeepers.” Lekota said South Africa would only take part in missions that were sponsored by the UN because the agency would then cover the costs.

The minister said South Africa would be required to provide technical expertise for peacekeeping missions as opposed to merely putting soldiers on the ground because its neighbours lacked the ability to do so. “South Africa needs to intensify technical training for its staff because most of our neighbours would not be able to take on board these responsibilities.”
He cited South Africa’s involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as an example. Ninety-six South African soldiers, most of them medical and other specialist military personnel, are currently stationed in the DRC as part of the UN mission there.

They were deployed to monitor the implementation of a peace accord to end a conflict which, since August 1998, has pitted DRC government forces, backed by Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe, against rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Lekota said South Africa also had expertise in landmine removal that would be put to use in the DRC and Angola if the fighting in the two countries ended. “Once the hostilities end they will need landmine removal facilities, these abilities South Africa can supply as part of its peacekeeping duties.”