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 Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 5:55pm On Nov 04, 2013 |
Nigeria: We've Curbed Criminality - Navy By Evelyn Usman, 3 November 2013 The Nigerian Navy, weekend, claimed that it had been able to curb acts of illegalities in the nation's territorial waters in spite of its aging fleet. To this effect, the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Western Naval Command, Apapa, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete, said several vessels involved in illegal activities had been arrested and handed over to prosecuting agencies. The FOC, who spoke while reviewing a parade marking the end of his second bi-annual inspection of units under the Western Naval Command, attributed the feat to what he described as hard work and responsiveness of personnel in the command. http://allafrica.com/stories/201311040278.html |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 5:45pm On Nov 04, 2013 |
A bit more info; Nigeria refurbishes 35mm anti-aircraft guns as military looks to revive local defence industry Written by Oscar Nkala, Monday, 04 November 2013 An Oerlikon 35 mm cannon.The Nigerian Army has re-commissioned several 35 mm anti-aircraft guns, after they were refurbished by the army's 31 Artillery Brigade. The weapons are believed to be Chinese Type 90s, license built copies of the towed Oerlikon GDF-002 twin-barelled anti-aircraft unit. The guns became unserviceable in 2002. Speaking at a test-firing and commissioning demonstration at the Kachia Military Range in the northern city of Kaduna last week, Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika said the successful refurbishment of the guns using local products marked a milestone in the army's desire to build and support the growth of the local defence industry. Ihejirika said the project was designed to increase the army's support to the local economy by ensuring that all defence procurement and maintenance contracts are awarded to local companies. "I am here today to witness the test firing of 35 mm anti-aircraft guns recently repaired by the 31 Artillery Brigade using local resources. I urge you to maintain the tempo of transformation and high standards. During the test-firing we witnessed today, I observed that the guns fired consistently without missing targets," said Ihejirika. As part of its programme to develop the local defence industry, the Nigerian Army has also designed surveillance vehicles and mobile antenna for urban communication to improve command and communication systems within its divisions. The army also used local content to manufacture bomb detectors, armoured personnel carriers and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). "The changing nature of contemporary threats facing the Nigerian Army and the degradation of NACA’s [Nigeria Army Corps of Artillery’s] capacity over time due to equipment attrition made it necessary to rebuild its capacity for (undertaking) missions," Ihejirika said. With an average firing rate of 500 rounds per minute per barrel, the twin-barrelled guns are capable of engaging aerial targets to a range of up to 6 500 metres. The gun can also engage ground targets within a range of 4 000 metres. http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32508:nigeria-refurbishes-35mm-anti-aircraft-guns-as-military-looks-to-revive-local-defence-industry&catid=50:Land&Itemid=105 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 5:43pm On Nov 04, 2013 |
‘US spies on Nigerian security agencies’ November 3, 2013 by Allwell Okpi 162 Comments US spies on Nigerian security agencies Indications emerged on Saturday that the United States has been spying on the Nigeria’s security agencies, especially the State Security Service, and probably the Presidency. In a report published in New York Times, Edward Snowden, an American computer specialist, who worked for the US Central Intelligence Agency and as a contractor with the US National Security Agency, stated that Nigeria’s SSS was one of the security agencies across the globe that the N.S.A. had been listening in on. He said briefs on the information gleaned from intercepting of telephone conversations and hacking of computers of the SSS, other security agencies in Nigeria and other countries are delivered to the office of the US President, Barrack Obama every morning. “By many accounts, the agency provides more than half of the intelligence nuggets delivered to the White House early each morning in the President’s Daily Brief — a measure of success for American spies. One document boasts that listening in on Nigerian State Security Service had provided items for the briefing “nearly two dozen” times. In every international crisis, American policy makers look to the N.S.A. for inside information,” Snowden told New York Times. The release of documents that proved that the NSA had been eavesdropping on the communications of world leaders, including US allies, had caused diplomatic rows, with Germany and some other countries protesting. Snowden also noted that the NSA had obtained thousands of classified documents, containing secrets of governments around the world, pointing to a possibility that it might have obtained secret documents of the Federal Government of Nigeria, or tapped President Goodluck Jonathan’s phone conversations. Snowden, who is on a temporary political asylum in Russia, disclosed classified details of several top-secret United States, Israeli, and British government mass surveillance programmes to the press. He started releasing the NSA’s documents in June and the documents he has released so far show that the US has been spying most countries in the world. http://www.punchng.com/news/us-spies-on-nigerian-security-agencies/ 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 5:37pm On Nov 04, 2013 |
Nigeria Deepens Fight Against Terrorism Posted by: Channels Television Posted date: November 03, 2013 In: Headlines | comment : 0 Comments The Nigerian Army has trained another batch of 120 officers on counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations. Addressing reporters during their Passing Out Parade at the Nigerian Army School Of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna, the Chief Of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika assured Nigerians that the fight against terrorism, especially in the Northern part of the country would soon be over. He added that the Nigerian military had made significant progress in the war against insurgency. The Chief of Army Staff, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Garba Wahab, said that with the kind of skills acquired by the officers during their training, they would contribute immensely to the war against terrorism. He also highlighted the successes recorded against the Boko Haram terrorists so far. “The Nigerian Army remains battle ready against the nation’s enemies,” the Chief of Army Staff stressed. Some of the newly commissioned officers promised to protect the country from both internal and external attacks, and assist their colleagues, who are already on the field, to tackle the security challenges headlong. The officers who were drawn from different army formations across the country, spent 3 months at the School Of Infantry, and during the period they were exposed to trainings and lectures on counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations. The history of Nigerian Army School of Infantry can be traced to the establishment of the Royal West African Frontier Force during the colonial administration of West Africa in the late 1950s. http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/11/03/nigeria-deepens-fight-against-terrorism/ |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 8:17pm On Nov 03, 2013 |
chris365: i assure you it will happen soon. i talked about red october no south african challenged it, now please watch this video.Tick tock, tick tock. 2 Likes |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 8:13pm On Nov 03, 2013 |
NaijaPikinGidi: I have learnt over time how to engage with these SA fools. Enough said! Let them feed from the dirt and garbage heap. We can't keep repeating ourselves.I think you are right. Vey little point in repeating ourselves. We should just let it pan out and all will be revealed. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 4:48pm On Nov 03, 2013 |
DR Congo M23 rebels call truce The M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo says it is calling a ceasefire to allow peace talks with the government to proceed. After 20 months of fighting, government forces recaptured the rebels' last stronghold in eastern DR Congo. In a statement, the rebels called on the organisers of the peace talks in neighbouring Uganda to "put in place a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire". At least 800,000 people have been left homeless since the conflict started. The M23 launched a rebellion in eastern DR Congo in April 2012. It is made up of army deserters who say they are fighting for the rights of the minority Tutsi ethnic group. 'All but finished' Last Monday, the UN special envoy to DR Congo, Martin Kobler, said the M23 was all but finished as a military threat in DR Congo. His comments came after government forces captured five M23-held areas, including one where the rebels had a big military training camp. Peace talks in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, broke down last month following two months of negotiations. The government forces have been backed by a UN intervention brigade deployed earlier this year to confront the M23 and other armed groups. The rebels briefly occupied the eastern Congolese city of Goma in November 2012 before pulling out under international pressure. The M23 rebel movement is named after a 23 March 2009 peace deal that ended four years of rebellion in eastern DR Congo. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24794964 |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 4:40pm On Nov 03, 2013 |
Navy Calls For Increased Funding Published: Friday, 01 November 2013 20:38 Written by From Anietie Akpan, Calabar Hits: 109 THE Flag Officer of the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Joe Aikhomu, has called for more ships and funding for the Nigerian Navy. Aikhomu who made the plea after an inspection of naval facilities in the Calabar area Friday said the Federal Government should assist to enable the Navy to carry out their duties more efficiently. The FOC, however, admitted that, “we have about five major ships here. One of them is in Australia arriving somewhere in Mauritius coming back home. The other four are patrolling our waters, so within what we have we are alright, but if we have more ships we would be grateful.” The FOC, who was pleased with the state of facilities in his command, said, “a lot of effort has been put and there is hard work. All my officers have done very well within the scarce resources available to us. And I am very impressed. Within the limited resources we have and the platforms we have we are doing our best.” On the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, which has been under construction for 34 years, he said, “a lot of efforts have been put into the Nigerian Navy Hospital. That was one project that was abandoned but looking at it, we thought we should take it up.” It has been abandoned for about 34 years; we have done a lot in that place. And in the shortest possible time something positive would happen in terms of commissioning.” The hospital is now at advanced stage and it is believed hoped that it may be ready for commissioning by December this year after many years of neglect. http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/news/national-news/137356-navy-calls-for-increased-funding |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 4:29pm On Nov 03, 2013 |
zaandrew: So you don't have a actual response to what I said? Only some smart has commint. Perhapse you should take your own advise.Of course they will attack. It seems we will have to keep repeating ourselves. It is an insurgency and will eventually be contained. As has been said, you don't see the constant bombings like we used to in urban areas( I am not saying they may not be able to sneak one in somewhere). They are now very desperate and desperate people do desperate things to appear relevant. The Army would prefer they were attacked than innocent civilians so they can be assisted on their way to their 75 virgins. Gradually, as the plan falls into place with men and surveillance equipment monitoring the borders, there will be nowhere to run. Only a few months gone and yes, mistakes were initially made by letting BH and their cohorts get a strong network in place before it is now being eventually dismantled. There is also a political angle to all this. You dismissing the right wing extremists as nothing to worry about is exactly the same mistake we made. Anyway, I am talking too much. Believe what you want to. 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 4:17pm On Nov 03, 2013 |
zaandrew: You guys teally want to think that damtur was any thing but a loss? You guys lost and it was a big one. But you all live so far up in your littel fantasyland that you don't see it.Sorry, but you are very wrong. We did not lose. BH fled and were pursued. This is an insurgency and that is what happens. BH are in their thousands (supported by many foreign fighters with weapons to match) scattered around the border area and in Cameroon, where they sometimes pose as refugees. Islamic fundamentalists don't fear anybody and for you to suggest it is because it is the Nigerian Army is wrong. Insurgents attacked NATO & coalition bases in Afghanistan constantly, including ambushing patrols all the time, because that is what happens. Like I said several pages back, some US Marines got killed when one of the air bases was attacked and several Harrier Jump Jets were destroyed on the ground. Please don't say they were not at home because it was a sovereign NATO base. Jihadists want to die and go to their false heaven to be with 75 virgins and are not interested in development etc. They would like to live in the stone age if they were allowed to. The IRA ambushed British troops over and over again including attacking army bases in Northern Ireland. They were different from your standard Islamic nutcase as they didn't want to be identified and operated covertly so the comparisons are wrong anyway. It is no longer the JTF but the Army 7th Division now in charge of operations, hence they tried to target the Police who are a softer touch because they are naturally not as heavily armed. Do you think if the SANDF had to establish road blocks and patrol CAR in a certain AOR they would not suffer casualties? Your engagement with Seleka rebels was just an introduction. 2 Likes |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 10:01pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
zaandrew: The usa is going to pull out of afghanstan and the afghans are going to make a peace treaty with the talbian. The talbian will use it's influnce to regain control. What ever the yanks do is pointless the talbian has won by simply out lasting the americans.They are going to still have troops in country along with other NATO members training and advising and most probably also have special forces troops in theatre. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 9:55pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
And; Army Recovers Vehicles From Boko Haram Informants In Borno By: Sadiq Abubakar on November 1, 2013 - 8:02am Division 7 Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Borno State, has disclosed that the division has uncovered the new tactics the Boko Haram insurgents in carrying out their wicked attacks. Army yesterday said it had destroyed two suspected operational vehicles of the Boko Haram sect in the ongoing operations in Maiduguri. The spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Lt.-Col. Mohammed Dole, who announced this in a statement, said that the destruction was to remove the insurgents terrorising motorists on highways in Borno State. He said the sect members hide in the bush and come out to pounce on soldiers and other victims with the help of some informants who patrol the roads on motorcycles and cars. He disclosed that suspected camps of the insurgents hidden in shrubs, valleys, hills and trees in the forest had been uncovered where about three motorcycles and two vehicles had been recovered from arrested informants of the Boko Haram insurgents while the real insurgents are being pursued. They mostly used the motorcycles in spying to plan for attacks on innocent people. “We have been able to identify camps used by the terrorists in planning attacks against motorists and innocent villagers in Kaga Local Government Area of the state. Troops of the division, supported by the Nigerian Air Force, have been able to destroy these camps since we began the operations this week,’’ Dole said. He also gave the assurance that efforts were being made to track the insurgents down in the Sambisa Forest and counter their plans as enough military men had been deployed to the bush. He said although the insurgents were moving all over the places, planning, operating and striking villages and towns, the 7 Division had also re-strategised and was tactically raiding all their camps using combat teams along the Maiduguri-Biu-Gwoza axis and the Maiduguri-Damaturu road to get rid the insurgents. He also revealed that the division has traced some Boko Haram camps in Gowok and Marguba villages, killing several of the terrorists, while those who escaped and fled are still being pursued. The Army spokesman further said that the military was ever ready to accept sect members who were willing to surrender and said they could do that by going to the nearest village heads and handing over their weapons to them. On the issue of detainees, he said they were still under the JTF custody and people should exercise patience until the committee constituted by the defence headquarters completes its assignment. http://leadership.ng/news/011113/army-recovers-vehicles-boko-haram-informants-borno 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 9:50pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
zaandrew: Again you did not anserw the qustion of who was giving fake infomastion.You didn't take into account the follow-up action posted earlier. Army barracks were never attacked and countless BH fighters have died and continue to as a result of their injuries, that's why they desperately raided the hospital. It was reported that the APC was taken from the Police base and not from the Army. http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2013-10/31/content_30453465.htm Nigerian army launches air, land strikes on Boko Haram camps 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, October 31, 2013 The Nigerian army on Wednesday said it has commenced air and land strikes on Boko Haram camps in northeast remote villages along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway. Spokesman of the Army 7 Division in Borno State, Lt Col Mohammed Dole, told reporters that unlike before, the army division would now strike on Boko Haram camps so as to destabilize the insurgents from planning or executing any attack again. "There is an on going operation around Benisheik, Kaga Local Government. Troops of the 7 Division supported by the Nigerian Air force, attacked and destroyed Boko Haram camps at Goho village in Mainok general area. Several terrorists were killed while others fled to another camps in Marguba, same Mainok area but the troops pursued them to the camp at Marguba which was also destroyed," he added. The exact number of the insurgents that were killed in the offensive was not ready since the operation is still going, the spokesman said, promising to avail journalists with details of the operation as soon as it is completed. "Several of them were killed while others also fled. Terrorists who escaped from the Marguba camp following troops strike on their camp, crossed the Maiduguri-Damaturu road at Benisheik heading north toward Gubio (North of Borno). Troops from 7 Division are still pursuing the terrorists. The operation is still going on," he said. He appealed to residents not to panic especially with the movement of the fleeing insurgents toward the northern part of the state, saying troops in the area have been alerted about the development. He also said the troops from the division were already pursuing the fleeing Boko Haram men. Last Friday, the Nigerian military announced the killing of 95 Boko Haram fighters in Yobe and Borno States in operations against the insurgents, who were alleged to attempt coordinated attacks. The Boko Haram sect has proved the biggest security threat in the West African country since launching the insurgency in 2009. Endi 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 5:56pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24787637 The usual SA suspects don't say anything when the USA takes out the head of the Pakistani Taliban. When the leaders of BH are consigned to history, they claim it is of no consequence. What they don't realise is, it sends a message that you can run, but you can't hide forever and destabilises the rank and file of the insurgents. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 5:44pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
agaugust: as long as you south africans choose to be fools in using your brain, you will continue to fall cheaply into dirty mud pits, pushed around by hungry journalists looking for quick fame in war reporting without going to the real battlefield to face live bullets and get correct information.Tell them jare. A few words in this case is enough for the wise. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 5:18pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
andrewza: or call a APC a army personnel carrier.Or calling a helicopter a fighter as already stated. Yes, he was(is) good and I suppose he will return in some form when the time is right. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 4:17pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
andrewza: The link is from a blog of a person who is a known racist, who has zero insider knowledge and is a coward who ran away from SA to Kangaroo land.My point exactly. These stories are from unreliable sources and often disgruntled people or just merely one publishing house copying another or trying to outdo one another. It is a known fact that there are not many good defence correspondents in Nigeria as most can't tell the difference between an APC and a MBT not to talk of a fighter aircraft and a helicopter. 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 4:03pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
andrewza: Number of points to take in to account.http://ozziesaffa..co.uk/2013/09/south-africa-sandf-in-big-trouble.html Link above. You have missed the point. Nobody has said we haven't got problems, afterall, nobody can be more critical of Nigeria than Nigerians. Your fellow SAs like to paint a rosy picture of SANDF and try to ridicule the Nigerian Military. I am very happy for a healthy debate to take place. Also, I am ready to go down the same line as they are. Yes, the Nigerian military have made mistakes, but they always learn and adapt, afterall, a couple or so years ago, they didn't know too much about CT/COIN operations. Also, when you guys paste articles, you should also realise that there are people with vested interests in Nigeria who will continue to do what they can to destabilise the country. In how many countries do you get journalists rushing off to publish reports that have not been verified or sources that could be from anywhere or not even exist? |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 3:53pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
CraigB: Neither explanation covers Naai-geria in glory. If BH burnt it and also burnt your barracks (that's just pathetic)...If violence is rising in Northern Naai-geria (as shown by my links yesterday....If refugees numbers are ever-increasing and suffering (as shown by my links yesterday), it means three things:Oh my!. It must really be frustrating to you that Nigeria hasn't crumbled and BH taken over  .It won't be long now before you guys come to us for help when it all kicks off down there . |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 3:47pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
CraigB: CraigB: Quote PostAs you have included me in your quote above, what game of lies do you want to play? Anyway, I will await your return. Be careful now when out cycling.  |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 3:37pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
CraigB: You have ignored my dare.Yeah! tara, run along back into wherever it was you crept out from. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 3:36pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
CraigB: It's funny how my posts get EVERYONE worked up.Do you know what, I actually believe you are a lawyer? What facts have you presented here apart from articles that are unconfirmed and sources that don't exist? Oh! of course, a lawyer 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 3:33pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
CraigB: Aaah! The wonderful race card. How original.Why ever would I want to follow what you espouse?  I don't play the race card, just stating facts. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 2:51pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
agaugust: @CraigB is no lawyer, and he lives in no America. his claim is 90% likely to be 419 . That wouldn't surprise me. He has the personality to match. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 2:50pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
agaugust: you wan killi dem finis ?Na dem kill themselves O! |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 2:41pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
It's all going pear shaped; 04 September 2013 South Africa: SANDF in big trouble I hope President Hopey Changey Obama isn't going to be relying on the South African National Defence Force to help him out in Syria anytime soon as it seems that the SANDF is on the brink of collapse. The collapse is being blamed on (among other things)......wait for it..........drum roll please.........here we go..............ta-da: an exodus of highly-skilled technical staff. You don't say? You mean that Black South African affirmative action types aren't up to the level of the highly-skilled technical staff (read Whites) which the ANC slowly but surely has been ridding the SANDF of?? Say it isn't so... On top of that, the ANC is starting to run out of money so chop-chop goes the defence budget. It seems that nearly two decades of stealing money from tax payers is finally starting to catch up with the ANC. But, that's not all the ANC has done to "lose" money of course. Not only have they been stealing left, right and centre, but they're intent on further destroying the economy by hounding the White skilled labour out of the job market, thereby reducing job creation, competence and global competitiveness. Add to that all the strikes; the jabbering of nationalising mines and foreign companies; the chatter regarding land re-distribution and foreign land ownership; the weakening of the rand; the cost of fuel etc. - put it all together into the Communist blender and you end up with Zimbabwe Mark II.The same Zimbabwe which today can't feed its people. They may as well change the name of the country to South Zimbabs. But, I digress. Last I heard, of the three South African navy submarines, two were out of commission. One, because some affirmative action idiot blew the electrical circuit on one; and the second because some affirmative action monkey slammed the submarine into bottom of the sea floor. And seeing as there's no skilled technical staff to fix the damage, both subs have been out of commission for years now. And the other last I heard, most of the air-force planes have been moth-balled as there's no money for maintenance or fuel to fly the planes. So, pilots have either been let go (the Whites first naturally), and the affirmative action ones left don't have enough flying hours to fly the planes should they really need to. Zimbabwe even bought some of the SANDF's helicopters to help their ANC buddies out...... Yes, peeps, this is the result of putting backward monkeys in charge of a once functioning, developed country. A country which HAD one of the best military's in the world. A military which kicked East German, USSR and Cuban butt in Angola. All carried out by a bunch of 18-yr old White boys led by some exceptionally intelligent Boer Generals. They sent the Commies packing with their tails between their legs. What a sad day this is for South Africa. Actually, scrap that. That sad day was the day Fwit de Klerk and his merry band of traitors sold our country to the Black soulless ANC Communists. I wonder if they're proud of what they've done to the country? Sadly, THIS is what's protecting SA today......eish! The SA National Defence Force is on the verge of collapse. With dwindling budgets, an exodus of highly-skilled technical staff and reduced spending on training and equipment, the defence force - according to military experts - can barely meet its constitutional obligations. Increasing international demands and frequent internal deployments - such as the recent presidential announcement of the deployment of hundreds of troops on crime fighting operations over the next four months - is putting further strain on the already overstretched armed services. The army has nearly 2000 troops on peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, and military trainers in the Central African Republic and the DRC. The defence force has military observers deployed under the AU and UN flags in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The navy has a frigate, and air force personnel and aircraft, in the Mozambican channel and Mozambique deployed on anti-piracy operations. Military analyst Helmoed Heitman said the defence force was now collapsing. "We have huge sections of the budget spent on salaries, with equipment and training left lacking. We are hopelessly short on manpower - 20000 troops too few - and porous borders that cannot be guarded properly," he said. "We have pilots who can't fly [sufficient] hours, troops who have been given limits on the amount of ammunition they can use in training, and equipment, such as our frigates, which cannot be maintained because there is no proper budget. "The defence force is collapsing. If drastic action is not taken soon, in the next three years it will be beyond recovery." The Defence Department received just over R34-billion last year from the Treasury. Its current budget of R37-billion is expected to increase to R39-billion in the 2013-2014 financial year. Professor Renfrew Christie, dean of research at the University of Western Cape, said the military's budget needed a drastic increase. "We spend 1% of our gross national product on defence. We need a military capable of looking after our country with the time now coming to increase spending to 2% of GDP," Christie said. "To do our duty, we need a bigger and better equipped military. The option of downscaling our involvement north of our borders is not an option. "Protecting our country and its borders is far bigger than just putting up fences," he said. Retired admiral Chris Bennett, the former naval chief of staff, said the massive "poaching" of technical staff had led to numerous crises in the navy. "Our military, especially on the technical side, is being bled dry by both public and private industries, as well as by foreign militaries. "Though the navy until now has managed to stay afloat, things are beginning to bite," he said. "The right funding has not been given to the military [which is] being required more and more by parliament to do things [parliament is] not prepared to pay for. 2 Likes |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 2:27pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
CraigB: Lest we forget - the uselessness of the Naai-gerian military:You missed the highlighted bit above with your selective reasoning. Refugees are an inevitable consequence of armed conflict.  1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 2:22pm On Nov 02, 2013 |
CraigB: Yes, run along. You've displayed enough idiôcy for one day.Ah! yes. It all makes sense now. A lawyer. That explains the arrogance, language and crassness. I bet your bottom dollar you have no black friends and live in a white enclave if indeed you are resident in the US. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 9:45am On Nov 02, 2013 |
The SANDF’s base of shame August 24 2013 at 11:28am By CRAIG DODDS Comment on this story -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iol news pic Oudtshoorn Infantry school Courtney Africa The entrance to Oudsthoorn Infantry school for the South African Defense Force. Thirteen recruits have died at the infantry school in the past three years. Picture: COURTNEY AFRICA Related Stories SANDF recruit freezes to death at base Recruits beaten with broomsticks - report Infantry school to be probed SANDF, union trade blows over soldier’s death Cape Town - A shocking 11 recruits have died at the Oudtshoorn infantry school in the past three years - a death rate even higher than that at Guantanamo Bay, the notorious US military prison in Cuba where authorities have long been accused of torture and abuse. Three of the deaths were the result of suicides, it has emerged, amidst allegations that soldiers are burnt with cigarette lighters, that women recruits are kicked by male instructors, and that pregnant soldiers are humiliated by superiors. In the seven years before mid-2010, a further five recruits had died, according to documents presented to members of Parliament’s defence oversight committee during a recent visit to the military base. SA National Defence Union spokesman Pikkie Greeff said: “More soldiers have died in that base (in the past three years) than prisoners have died in Guantanamo Bay over the same period.” The Oudtshoorn base has long been plagued by reports of abuse, with the most recent incident involving a soldier who allegedly froze to death while on guard duty earlier this month. Western Cape police spokeswoman Captain Bernadine Steyn said this week that samples from the autopsy were still being analysed for a report. Meanwhile, military ombudsman General Themba Matanzima has produced a preliminary report on instruction by Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to investigate allegations of abuse. He said a final report would be ready in the next few weeks, but he expected the minister to ask him to launch another investigation covering the previous three years to “deal with the backlog”. According to a briefing document given to MPs, Mapisa-Nqakula was forced to order further investigations because the unit’s own boards of inquiry had been unable to conduct “quality and conclusive investigations”. Mapisa-Nqakula’s spokesman, Siphiwe Dlamini, said it was the minister’s right to ask the military to “dig deeper” if she wasn’t satisfied. But he said each death had to be dealt with on a “case-by-case” basis. “We can’t just say because it has happened in Oudtshoorn there is a special problem.” The preliminary ombudsman’s report had been sent to the chief of the SANDF for action. DA spokesman on defence David Maynier said he was “deeply concerned” and called for Matanzima’s report to be completed as soon as possible. This comes after the mother of a soldier stationed in Oudtshoorn wrote a letter to the defence union complaining of conditions. The union said one of the pregnant women allegedly humiliated by her superiors had committed suicide. But this had been denied by the SANDF. The union also said a recruit had been hospitalised “with a prognosis of permanent injury to his shoulder after being beaten with broomsticks during a punitive physical exercise”. The union has alleged that the training session was halted earlier this year because medics feared the recruits would die. Several reportedly required medical treatment, and all their cellphones were confiscated to prevent the leaking of pictures. The total death toll for the past 10 years has risen to 16. The three suicides all occurred between 2011 and last year. Greeff said the commanding officers had created “a culture of fear… everybody’s just too damn scared to do anything”. He said no one had ever been held accountable for the deaths. Fatalities since 2003 * May 2003: Lance-Corporal TN Mbonjana dies after being overcome by gas heater smoke in his room. * July 2007: Death of Lance Corporal PM Nxumalo. No cause of death is given. * 2008: death of Lieutenant NS Msani. No cause of death given. * November 2009: Corporal TD Malitisa is accidentally shot by a fellow soldier during crowd control training. * April 2010: Recruit FC Makhubele dies in his sleep of natural causes. * September 2010: Recruit EN Biyela is absent without leave when he dies in a taxi accident. * 2011: Recruit WI Rampai dies from “acute follicular tonsillitis”. * April 2011: Rifleman MT Thekiso dies of a heart attack. * June 2011: Able Seaman FV Maluleke dies while crossing a river during training. * July 2011: Staff Sergeant HJJ van Stryp complains of pain in the side while abseiling, and later dies “due to natural causes”. * August 2011: Recruit MJ Khethupilwe shoots himself. * November 2011: Lance-Corporal S Ntozini dies of heat stroke on a route march during recce selection. * December 2011: Lance Corporal CG Nxangashe hangs himself in his room. * 2012: Recruit EC Bruintjies collapses in a queue while waiting to do a pregnancy test. The cause of death is given as a “cardiological complication”. * July 2012: Recruit NR Ngcobo shoots herself. (The list of fatalities at the base between 2003 and last year is contained in documents presented to members of Parliament’s defence oversight committee during a recent visit there.) Weekend Argus http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/the-sandf-s-base-of-shame-1.1567543#.UnS7Sb5FCFQ 1 Like |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 6:29pm On Nov 01, 2013 |
NaijaPikinGidi: You are dealing with a CrazyPig who thrives on slime and dirt. No too give yourself headache, because it is evident he would rather see his BH friends overrun Nigeria ... something that will only happen the day hell freezes over! The links and articles you've been sharing here must be causing his pork brain a bad tumour!Spot on as usual. |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 6:28pm On Nov 01, 2013 |
CraigB: I don't see you posting facts to negate what you've been given. You're just moth foaming. Not that I'm surprised. The truth does reduce people to what you've become. Where did your zeal go? Vanished, has it?Why don't you scroll up my dear and read the articles I have been posting. They may answer your inquisitiveness and obsessions with BH. Anyway, I have things to attend to and will be back later. Enjoy reading  . |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Who Has The Strongest Military In Africa? by rka1: 6:19pm On Nov 01, 2013 |
CraigB: I'm sorry you've had to be reduced to this. Maybe next time you'll think before you advance an argument.This is hilarious. You had an argument? |
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