Djotodia used child soldiers during the Battle of Bangai: The South African National Defence Union has alleged to E News Channel Africa. The South African National Defence Union desires for South Africa to indict the self-proclaimed new president of Central African Republic in the International Criminal Court, which is situated in the Hague, in the Netherlands. Such is the report of E News Channel Africa journalist: Eleni Giokos of an interview with a spokesperson representing the South African National Defence Union. An interview, which had originally been planned to look into the recent helicopter crash claiming five South African National Defence Force soldiers' lives in a Kruger Park anti-rhino-poaching patrol: the fourth incident with that model of aircraft in four years, with ten percent of that particular helicopter model's 30 South African National Defence Force vehicles having incurred crashes in Defence Force care.
Djotodia leads a diverse band of rebels, allied under the banner of Seleka. It is not an alliance of trust, and it is one which is followed by and with intrigue by its members. Old school politics and shared interests have kept the Seleka rebels together, although it is thought that this loose alliance could easily fall apart if Djotodia is unable to keep the contrasting parties together.
The man whom the Seleka rebels disposed of, who has fled their country for Cameroon after their coup d'état: alleged that the followers of Djotodia are radical Muslim fundamentalists. The Archbishop of Bangai, representing the voice of the Roman Catholic Church: has voiced concern that Djotodia, a Muslim man by faith: has allowed his troops to target and attack Christians. Djotodia upon taking power has publicly prayed for God Almighty to give him and his new Prime Minister both intelligence and strength to manage and control the Central African Republic for the next three years after which he has claimed there will be an election. It is hoped that this prayer was not to suggest that the Central African Republic would now be ruled by Muslim or Sharia laws. The Central African Republic's population is majority Christian.
There have been reports of South African troops massing upon the respective Central African Republic borders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda, with heavy equipment being flown in as well as extra troops upon Herculese transport planes. These reports coincide with South Africa's President Jacob Zuma urgently flying to a meeting called by the president of Chad of the Economic Community of Central African States, the same community whom Jacob Zuma bypassed in sending South African troops to the Central African Republic. Jacob Zuma will fly up to the meeting almost immediately after a memorial service for soldiers killed in combat. It is unusual for a representative of South Africa to be present at such a meeting. The president of Chad, has previously been linked with the new self-proclaimed president of Central African Republic, however he allegedly fell out with him in December. It is this president of Chad who has called this meeting.
The Sowetan newspaper reported an interesting quote they made of General Shoke, which suggests that South African troops were not killed during the battle for the camp as most media had presumed, but after a peace treaty was in place between rebels and the South African National Defence Force troops on the ground. Reports by an early on the scene witness of the Reuters news agency of Great Britain, which interviewed the Central African Republic witness on the ground: suggest that at least six of the South African National Defence Force troops were not killed in a battle for the camp, but died in the city by their burnt out South African National Defence Force vehicles.
Other reports, denied by the South African National Defence Force: claim that the Central African Republic troops whom about 27 of the 200 South African National Defence Force troops, had been training in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed between then South African President Thabo Mbeki and the Central African Republic in the year of 2007: had mutinied and joined rebels in an attack against South African National Defence Force troops. Bozize, the disposed of President of Central African Republic is said to have kept his army weak in fear they would betray and overthrow him.
If the Sowetan newspaper is to be believed: in this claim that the troops did not die in the attack on the camp and that their nationally tragic deaths did not occur during the nine to thirteen hour so-called high tempo battle for the South African National Defence Force camp just outside the city of Bangai: but after rebels raised a white flag and entered into a peace treaty with the South African force. If it is to be believed that these troops were attacked during the lull in fighting which news agencies place at that night after the battle for the camp. If that is the case, then the 13 casualties that the South African National Defence Force incurred, occurred as a breach of peace truce entered into.
South Africa does not necessarily have the logistics to withdraw their troops from the Central African Republic. The South African troops had withdrawn their military from their much fought for base outside Bangai, and now reside within the airport which the French took and protected, according to E News Channel Africa.
If South Africa were to find a way to get rid of the new self-proclaimed president of the Central African Republic, whether through a war crimes trial, via assassination or capture, it might cause cracks within the rebel alliance to further break apart into chasms. South Africa certainly has an interest in an International Criminal Court trial of the self-proclaimed new president of the Central African Republic, should this be conducted; in the Hague in the Netherlands.
The opposition Democratic Alliance has alleged that the troops of the South African National Defence Force were in the Central African Republic to protect African National Congress business interests. It has been consistently politicking since the news broke. It thinks it has laid waste the African National Congress claims that the troops were reinforced and kept within this resource rich, almost pristine African country to our distant North: to ensure stability and to prevent a complete breakdown of the security situation within the country. The United Nations organisation known as UNICEF, has claimed that 4 million children in the Central African Republic are desperately at risk due to the instability and insecurity situation due to the above said recent coup d'état.
It is important to note that despite not having United Nations Security Council approval, and despite not having African Union approval, South Africa did have the approval of the Central African Republic at the time, to deploy its troops within their border with their consent. The scenario on the ground is much more complex than South African media would have it portrayed. I had been following the situation in the Central African Republic for many years now, with great concern for our troops upon the ground of this foreign soil. Our troops were not surprised by the Seleka attack upon the capital Bangai of the now devastated Central African Republic. If the soldiers were in fact shockingly taken by surprise in the tragedy frozen reality of the attack, they must have had an all-out blackout of media, and not at all have noticed the advance of rebels. In fact, after an earlier attempt at the capital, in which rebel stopped just prior the figurative gates: South Africa decided to reinforce our troops at Bangai with the significant contingent deployed precisely because we feared that the rebels would attack again. If South African troops as foreign media has reported: had created extensive checkpoints into the city of Bangai, preventing all but light units such as infantry and motorbikes from entering the city of Bangai in the first less heavy day of the fighting, then such a claim of surprise seems odd once again. I began to pay special attention to the scenario in Central African Republic quite a while before my South African media did. It was quite clear the fall of Bangui would be plausible at a much earlier stage than many in South African media anticipated.
The major reason that rebels gave for their attack and coup d'état, not reported often enough: was precisely the foreign troop presence within the Central African Republic. The new so-called Cabinet put in place by the self-proclaimed new leader of the Central African Republic, consists almost purely of rebel figures, and opposition figures who had been given power in a government of national unity: in accordance with the treaty the disposed president's government had signed with rebels. The Prime Minister of the new so-called national unity government, was a figure placed in that position in the previous national unity government on behalf of the rebels.
A promise to still hold elections in three years, is less promising when the leader of a coup d'état: creates a 'national unity government', almost purely representing one side.
It is true that the disposed of president of the Central African Republic gained power through a coup d'état of his own. This coup d'état took place before the founding of the African Union. If it had taken place after the founding of the African Union, it would have been considered an unconstitutional change of government by the organisation, and the same measures taken against the new purported government would have been taken against the past government.
