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South Africa Ready to Deploy Peacekeepers in Congo
South African President Thabo Mbeki said here Wednesday that his country is ready to send troops to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the conflict entered its third year the same day.
"Our forces have been ready for some time now as requested by the UN," Mbeki said. "The only problem is that deployment is not our matter, but a UN work."
Mbeki told reporters after meeting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe that South Africa had an obligation to keep peace and stability in Africa.
The UN has been dragging its feet on the planned deployment of 5,500 peacekeepers to the third largest African country on ground of ceasefire violations.
Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia have been fighting alongside DRC President Laurent Kabila who is under attack from rebels aided by Rwandan and Ugandan armies.
Mugabe said that he will not withdraw Zimbabwean troops from the DRC until peace comes to the war-torn country.
"We have an obligation to peace for the DRC and the peacekeeping process will determine our withdrawal," said Mugabe. "We will not withdraw until conditions for peace are there."
He said Zimbabwe had intervened in the DRC conflict to defend the sovereignty of the DRC people and its government from invasion by Rwanda and Uganda.
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