10 February 2005: No 03/05

SANDF GENERAL APPOINTED DEPUTY DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, EASTERN DIVISION IN THE DRC

In yet another first for South African peacekeepers, a South African general officer, Brigadier General Duma Mdutyana, has been appointed by the United Nations (UN) as the Deputy Divisional Commander of its Eastern Division in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Furthermore, the South African Infantry Battalion (1 200 members) deployed in the Eastern DRC was recently identified as the Eastern Divisional Reserve and is redeploying to Beni.

The fact that the SA Battalion Group was chosen as the Eastern Divisional Reserve and the appointment of General Mdutyana as the Deputy Divisional Commander is an undisputed feather in the South African cap and stands as clear testimony of the UN’s confidence in the South African soldiers.

These latest developments are a direct result of the UN authorisation of increased force levels in the DRC arising from the uprising in the Ituri Province during 2003. The UN Force Commander revised the concept of operations dividing the force into two Divisions - broadly one division in the South and one division in the East each with a Division Commander with the rank of Major General.

Troop Contributing Countries were then asked to provide two infantry brigades for deployment in the Eastern Division. A brigade was sent from India and another from Pakistan. The Eastern Division now has operational control over all UN forces in the Ituri Province through the North Kivu Brigade (Indian) and the South Kivu Brigade (Pakistan).

South Africa has been involved in peacekeeping operations in the DRC since 6 April 2001 and in Burundi since 28 October 2001. The UN Force Commander in Burundi is also a South African, Major General Derek Mgwebi.

General Mdutyana has been the General Officer Commanding 43 SA Brigade Headquarters since 2002 and has a Masters degree in Defence Studies from Madrass University in India. He is married and has four children.

He is expected to report for duty in the DRC by the end of this week.

Furthermore, the 30-person strong SANDF team which left for the DRC on 2 February 2005 to assist with the integration process of the different armed forces there and facilitate team building training has arrived and has already deployed.