Current Role
The SANDF plays a role a in peace keeping role on the African continent as well as providing election observers from time to time.
Recent peacekeeping actions by the South African military include the South African intervention in Lesotho in order to restore the democratically-elected government after a coup, as well as extensive contributions to United Nations and African Union peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Burundi.
In Burundi, the African Union had attempted to put together a small multinational force with the task of providing protection and support to the members of the Burundi Transitional Government. South Africa agreed to contribute, but because no ceasefire agreements had been concluded at the time, no other country was willing to undertake the risk. The South African Protection Support Detachment (SAPSD), consisting of 700 troops, was swiftly deployed to Burundi on 27 October 2001 to provide security for Burundian leaders returning from exile. The first SAPSD contingent of about 234 troops under the command of Brigadier General Steven Kobe, the General Officer Commanding 43 SA Brigade, left from Waterkloof Air Force Base Waterkloof, Pretoria, on the morning of 28 October 2001, and arrived in Bujumbura later the same day. A second group of 236 troops left from the air base on the morning of 30 October 2001. The third group of about 231 troops left for Burundi on 3 November, bringing the total to 701. The headquarters was drawn from 43 SA Brigade, while paratroopers came from 1 Parachute Battalion, medical orderlies from the SA Military Health Service, VIP protection personnel from the Air Force, and signallers from Wonderboom Military Base.
Read more about this topic: South African National Defence Force
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