SAfrica reportedly deploys 155 reservists to DRCongo on peacekeeping mission
South Africa has, for the first time, deployed a company of reservists outside the country to replace members of the regular force on a peacekeeping mission in the DRCongo.
Analysts say the move could help support the overstretched South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which has more than 2,000 troops deployed in the DRCongo and Burundi. The reservists would "bolster the SANDF," said Sam Mkhwanazi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence.
As well as strengthening the SANDF, the reservists would also pump younger blood into the army, said Henry Boschoff, a military analyst with the Pretoria-based think-tank, the Institute for Security Studies, adding that "besides HIV/AIDS, a majority of the soldiers in the army are over age - they are not physically or medically fit".
The defence ministry has launched several initiatives based on international army recruitment practices to beef up the SANDF and the reserve force.
"Most defence forces have soldiers on contracts varying from three to 15 years," explained Brig-Gen Brian Burmeister, who heads the reserve force.
"We have 9,000 members in the reserve force, who receive military training and other skills which will assist them in getting placement after they leave the army," Burmeister explained. The 155 reservists deployed to the DRCongo received additional training in peacekeeping and will serve in the mission for six months. [Passage omitted]
The system was launched last year and is to recruit 3,000 people a year for two years.
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10 Mai 2005 à 12:41 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
