South Sudan: Zim Planning South Sudan Deployment?

Harare — CASH-STRAPPED Zimbabwe could deploy its soldiers in troubled South Sudan to help protect the country's oil fields from rebels.

CAJ News has been reliably informed that this follows a request by South Sudan for Zimbabwe to assist.

The South Sudan Foreign Affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, was quoted on state-owned South Sudan Television that Zimbabwe should join the East African regional group, the Inter-governmental Authority on Development [IGAD], which are planning to deploy troops in the politically-volatile country.

Zimbabwe, according to government officials, was “seriously” considering sending its troops to assist Juba from the insurgents.

CAJ News has it in good authority the possible intervention would be built on cordial that date back to the early 1980s when Harare hosted the then rebel movement during its armed struggles for cessation from Sudan.

The war was waged between 1983 and 2005.

Zimbabwe has in the past sent its combat troops and artillery to save troubled African nations.

In the 1980, the Zimbabwe military intervened in Mozambique and salvage the situation in neighbouring Mozambique following insurgency.

In 1997 the Southern African country deployed troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo where sponsored by Rwanda, Uganda rebels allegedly and Burundi caused anarchy.

Violence erupted in South Sudan after a section of the Presidential guards supporting former Vice President Riek Machar attempted to topple President

Salva Kiir in Juba in mid-December 2013.

The fighting then spread quickly to the oil-rich states of Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile.