South Africa Hits Setback In Central African Republic -- Wall Street Journal
Clashes with rebels in the Central African Republic have cost the lives of more than a dozen South African soldiers, President Jacob Zuma said Monday, in a painful setback for the country's military as well as government ambitions to broker solutions to the continent's conflicts.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Mr. Zuma said the casualties came after rebels attacked a South African military base in the Central African Republic, where the troops had been based since January amid that nation's deepening political turmoil. Mr. Zuma said South African troops successfully defended the base, but in heavy fighting over the weekend, 13 soldiers were killed and 27 injured. One soldier is still missing.
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Update #1: Zuma Says 13 South African Soldiers Killed in Bangui, 27 Wounded -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Update #2: Zuma: CAR Rebels Kill 13 South African Soldiers -- Voice of America
Update #3: South Africa troops killed in CAR fighting -- Al Jazeera
My Comment: So much for South Africa positioning themselves to mediate Africa's conflicts. Bottom line .... the Central African Republ;ic disaster illustrates how difficult it is to stop conflicts in much of the African continent.