SANDF soldiers posted in the eastern part of the DRC have been warned to adhere to the code of conduct they were sworn to.
|||Johannesburg -Two weeks after dozens of soldiers were dismissed from the SA National Defence Force for misconduct, their colleagues were on Tuesday reminded of a code of conduct they had to adhere to, particularly a clause saying “I am responsible for my actions”.
At a ceremony held in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo to “appreciate” soldiers who will be spending Christmas away from their families, Chief Warrant Officer Mothusi Kgaladi gave a stern message to those posted in the eastern part of the DRC,warning them to adhere to the code of conduct they were sworn to.
“Some fell by the wayside... what they did was counter what was expected of them. I am not proud that those members had to be taken back. I am not here to scratch healing wounds (but) each one of us here is responsible for their discipline,” said Kgaladi.
“Let us not distract the generals from doing their important work.You are here to represent your country... your nation... so please do that with dignity.” .
The man in charge of the camps, Colonel Bayanda Mkula, assured the generals that they were doing their best “to keep our flag flying high”.
“It is the violation of human rights that brought us here and it is for us to ensure that when we leave (the DRC) peace is restored,” he said.
The soldiers are among troops spread out across the DRC, sent there as part of the UN's Force Intervention Brigade which is tasked with bringing peace and stability in the war torn central African country.
So far, the troops have managed to “reverse the effects of the M23 rebel forces,” said Major General Barney Hlatshwayo on Tuesday in Goma.
Their headache at the moment, he said, was the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) - a Rwandan armed group made up of deposed Rwandan army generals - and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is an Islamic organisation aimed at toppling the Ugandan government and impose Sharia law in Uganda.
Hltshwayo said both groups “are fighting in the DRC, not in their own countries. Congo is part of SADC and we have to be seen to assist the Congolese army”.
He added: “If troops move out of the base it has to be in an organised manner (for security reasons). The UN doesn't condone sexual relations between soldiers and locals. That's why we emphasise the issue of discipline.”
The Star
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