Troops in Trouble: Why Are Our Soldiers Dying in the DRC?
“Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana, philosopher
Many incidences in South Africa’s recent past bring this wise quote to mind, but perhaps none so starkly as the tragic deaths of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers who were killed in the latest action against M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
After protracted negotiations, their bodies were repatriated to South Africa, and I know I’m not the only one who’s found the news footage of their funerals haunting to watch.
The tragic loss of life has spawned anger and outrage from grieving relatives, the South Africa public in general, and SANDF general, Rudzani Maphwanya, among many others. Many pointed questions are now being asked, not least of which is why did South Africa have troops in the DRC in the first place?
It’s a well-known fact that, especially given the apparently unchecked influx of people across our northern and eastern borders, we don’t seem able to defend our own country against unwelcome visitors. Why then are we spending resources we clearly don’t have on helping far away countries defend theirs?
It’s impossible at this point not to reference to the ill-fated “Battle of Bangui”, which took place in 2013 in the Central African Republic (CAR) during the height of that country’s civil war. At the time, a small force of crack South African troops was engaged in conflict with a Seleka rebel force estimated to number around 7 000.
Although they managed to inflict heavy casualties, our soldiers were soon overwhelmed. They were forced to negotiate a ceasefire with the rebels – but not before 13 SANDF soldiers had been killed.
At the time, South Africans were left wondering exactly WTF happened. Questions of why our soldiers were risking their lives in a distant corner of Africa were asked, but satisfactory answers were never given.
And now, 12 years later, we’re repeating history.
The official reason given for the presence of SANDF troops in the DRC is that most are deployed as part of a SADC mission, along with Tanzanian and Malawian troops.
The rest are there as part of the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO.
The reality is, however, that there is little peacekeeping and a lot of war mongering going on.
The Daily Maverick reports that between 1 000 and 2 000 SANDF soldiers remain trapped in eastern DRC, surrounded by Rwandan-backed M23 rebel troops in their bases around Goma.
President Ramaphosa has warned Rwanda that further attacks on our troops would be considered a “declaration of war.” This statement was met with defiance by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who accused South Africa of being part of a “belligerent force” involved in “offensive combat operations.”
But bubbling to the surface amongst all this political chest puffery is the very real and worrying issue of whether our troops are adequately trained and equipped to be in the DRC as part of a multi-national force.
In an interview with The Citizen, respected defence analyst Helmoed Heitman said the SANDF faces two major problems – under-funding and “a government that does not understand or care.”
Thanks to a reduced tax base and high demand for social services, our economy is, in Heitman’s words, “crippled.”
“The upshot is that, even if the government wakes up, funds are very tight, with not much room to increase defence funding without shrieks of outrage from those who have to give up some of their funding,” he says.
Former DA Shadow Defence Minister Kobus Marais agrees. Talking to The Star newspaper, he said that the deaths of SANDF soldiers in the DRC came as no surprise, due to the poor support and resources given to our troops.
“It is now a regular occurrence that our soldiers are returned to their loved ones in body bags,” he said.
Of course, the argument is that there is always an inevitable loss of life associated with being in the armed forces during times of conflict.
But as Pikkie Greeff, SA National Defence Union national secretary, said to the Daily Maverick, “Losing troops in combat is always bad, but losing troops due to inadequate resources is unacceptable.”
He goes on to say, “There is a financial crisis in the SANDF and only the government can sort that out. I really think it is time Treasury comes to the party and we realise that when our soldiers come under attack, this country comes under attack, and it needs an adequate response.”
This video, from Sbu Makh, supports this standpoint and is well worth a watch. In it, he shares video clips of SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya, who points a well-aimed finger at our country’s leaders.
“Our borders are porous because you, the politicians, have decided you want a Micky Mouse defence force,” the General says.
Naturally, his statement caused much intake of breath, and the General has found himself in hot water as a result. But as Sbu points out, this is not fixing the problem. Instead, politicians are scrambling to do damage control by trying to silence the General because the truth is “so embarrassing.”
It calls to mind one of the most epic movie speeches ever written, from the film A Few Good Men.
Following a demand for the truth from his superior, Jack Nicolson’s character shouts out, “You can’t handle the truth!”
He then says, “We live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall – you need me on that wall.
“I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it.
“I would rather you just said, ‘thank you’ and went on your way.”
They say art imitates life, and there is so much relevance for South Africa in this speech.
Perhaps, if politicians were more grateful for the essential work our SANDF soldiers carry out far from home, and supported them with the resources they so desperately need, we wouldn’t even need to be having this conversation.
Greeff cautions we will continue to lose soldiers in the DRC until the situation is addressed.
“How many lives must South Africa pay for before we realise that it is a question of finances, and somebody really takes a firm decision on the matter?” he asked.
As military practitioner Tim Flack says, “Our soldiers deserve the best support to carry out their duties and safely return home. The recent attacks [in the DRC] have highlighted the severe consequences of inadequate resources and support.
“Losing lives due to preventable shortcomings is unacceptable. It is time for decisive action to ensure that our troops are equipped with the tools they need to succeed and survive in their mission in the DRC – or bring them home.”
I wholeheartedly agree. In a war no one’s entirely sure is ours to fight, why are the politicians more concerned about the financial cost than the human one?