Yet, despite persistent reports, the SA National Defence Force reacted with “utter dismay” to these reports. “There is no iota of truth in these allegations. There is equally no substance to support these allegations. The SANDF did not come under any threat during this period,” the SANDF said in a statement.
Meanwhile international community continues to criticise South Africa for allowing al-Bashir to leave South Africa despite a high court order preventing him from doing so until a final decision was made on his arrest, as per a warrant from the International Criminal Court. He is wanted to answer questions about war crimes.
President al-Bashir, arrived in South Africa on Saturday to attend the African Union (AU) Summit held this past weekend in Johannesburg. He left on his plane from the Waterkloof Air Force Base.
On Tuesday the Democratic Alliance demanded that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, make a public statement confirming or denying reports that South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers were held hostage in Sudan during the drama surrounding the possible arrest of al-Bashir.
It follows reports claiming that Sudanese soldiers surrounded South African National Defence Force soldiers in Sudan. They only withdrew after al-Bashir had returned safely to Sudan.
The DA says if this is true, it suggests that President Omar al-Bashir may have used South African National Defence Force soldiers, deployed in Sudan, as a bargaining chip to escape arrest in South Africa.
Whatever the case, the Defence Minister needs to make a public statement confirming or denying reports that South African National Defence Force soldiers were held hostage in Sudan during the drama surrounding the possible arrest of President Omar al-Bashir in South Africa.
