Pretoria – International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has sent condolences to the families of the soldiers who were killed in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Six South African troops are said to have been killed in clashes as rebels in the CAR on Sunday seized control of the capital, Bangui, with President Francois Bozize reportedly having fled the country.
Fighters in the Seleka rebel coalition launched an offensive in the capital after the collapse of a two-month old peace deal in the notoriously unstable former French colony — ignoring a call for talks to avoid a "bloodbath".
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed there were deaths and injuries, but could not at the time confirm the number of the deceased.
Nkoana-Mashabane called on African leaders to work together to curb coups and forge ahead with development in their respective countries.
“As fellow Africans, we need to continue to build on the African Agenda,” she said at the New Age breakfast briefing in Durban this morning.
The breakfast briefing was held on the eve of South Africa hosting the 5th Brics Summit, which will run from 26 – 27 March.
Brics is an acronym for the powerful grouping of the world's leading emerging economies namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The aim of South Africa hosting the conference is to harness the country’s membership to benefit the entire continent.
South Africa officially became a member of Brics on 24 December 2010, after being formally invited by the Bric countries to join the group.
South Africa’s position going into the summit is to align Brics member countries' interests in supporting the integration agenda in Africa, and not just focusing on access to the country’s resources.
Nkoana-Mashabane said the summit aimed to serve as a platform for dialogue between member countries.
She said Brics would also serve as a platform to look at economic challenges. Experts from the Brics group of countries have also recommended the group to create their own development bank and rating agency for educational establishments.
The BRICS mechanism aims to promote development cooperation, security, peace and establishing a more equitable and fair world. – SAnews.gov.za
