Deploy soldiers only when asked to do so: Cosatu

SOUTH Africa should deploy soldiers only when asked to do so by the African Union (AU) instead of making bilateral agreements to make the continent as a whole responsible for the safety and support of troops, said Cosatu.

The union was reacting to the death of 13 soldiers, and the injury of 27 others, after Seleka rebels attacked their base in the Central African Republic's capital Bangui on Saturday. One soldier is still unaccounted for.

"Cosatu demands that the SANDF leadership do everything possible to protect the safety of the remaining soldiers and withdraw them at the earliest opportunity, especially now that President (Francois) Bozize, the leader they were supposed to be defending, has fled the scene, and the rebels have taken control of the capital city," spokesman Patrick Craven said.

"The federation has always argued that South Africa should be willing to send military forces to defend democratically elected governments and their sovereignty and protect human rights, or on the other hand to oppose imperialist interventions or foreign invaders, or free people from dictatorships.

"South Africa must also only deploy troops when asked to do so by the AU, so that the AU as a whole can take responsibility in such cases," Craven said.

He said an investigation should be launched to determine the SANDF's role in the CAR rebellion, adding that SANDF soldiers should be careful not to get "sucked into internal civil wars or factional battles".

The ANC also expressed sadness at the killings and conveyed its condolences to the families of the deceased.

"To us these soldiers were true sons of the continent who were willing to give up their lives in the interest of ensuring peace in the continent.

"Their selfless commitment has left an indelible mark in the relations between South Africa and the Central African Republic," ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said.

He called on the AU and other world bodies to be resolute in rejecting "the forceful removal of the government of the Central African Republic".