Cape Town - Government has committed itself to enhancing its contribution to the SADC Regional Early Warning Centre (REWC).
Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said the acceleration of the "full operationalisation of the SADC REWC will form an integral part of efforts to prevent and manage conflict situations in the region and the continent."
Sisulu chairs the International Cooperation, Trade and Security cluster, and earlier today, along with other relevant minister and deputy ministers addressed the media in Cape Town.
The briefing came in the aftermath of President Jacob Zuma's recent State of the Nation Address.
Citing Zuma, she said that during the coming 2011/2012 financial year, her department would be deploying 2 240 military personnel in operations across the continent.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 1 271 personnel would be deployed, 850 would be sent to Darfur and 100 to the Central African Republic, she said.
"These deployments are tasked with restoring peace, training, formalising and developing the security structures of those countries to stabilise and facilitate economic growth and a better life for the citizens," said Sisulu.
In a different matter, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Ibrahim said that government would soon get a report from the SA embassy in Libya regarding the safety and number of South Africans in that country.
Libya is currently experiencing a wave of anti-government protests, following similar recent waves which toppled old regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.
