CAR troubles

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s decision to employ 400 soldiers in the Central African Republic (CAR) last week has surprised and puzzled foreign diplomats, analysts, many citizens of CAR and just about everyone else.

The Presidency explained the employment – for a rather astounding five years – as being a constitutionally justified fulfilment of an international obligation to the CAR government to train its military. The agreement dates back to 2007.

But Zuma is insulting our intelligence if he expects us to believe that he has sent our troops to CAR on a mere training mission, at the very moment when rebels are at the gates of the capital Bangui, about to topple President Francois Bozize.

Obviously the troops have a broader and more dangerous mission, to prevent the rebels from seizing power – and Zuma ought to have said so.

If openly admitted, that broader mission can also be justified, provided it is done in the right way. Bozize’s opponents suspect that Zuma is propping up an unworthy leader who deserves to be ousted as he has run his country badly.

We trust that our soldiers have a more objective mission than saving Bozize.

The first step would be to help other central African regional forces (if indeed they need such help), secure the country and prevent potential instability that could lead to a loss of life.

But then, crucially, the troops must be an instrument for applying pressure to the rebels and Bozize’s government to enter into fully representative negotiations for a properly democratic government, perhaps preceded by a power-sharing transitional government to stabilise the chronically volatile country before new elections.

However, South Africa should back the rebel demand that Bozize step down immediately as he has clearly become part of the problem, using the government as a vehicle for corruption and nepotism.

Otherwise CAR could become another Zimbabwe, with Bozize clinging to all the real hard power in a sham government of national unity.

There are too many unanswered questions about the mission. Zuma should come clean about it.