Page 52 - World Airnews Magazine February 2020 Edition

FEATURE FEATURE

There are 14 independent rebel ‘armed groups’ active in the kilometres west of Bocaranga in the extreme CAR north-west). It countries should do when faced with such problems.
country, some of which are well trained, extremely motivated was preceded by an advanced detachment that went in by air, the

“My experience was that peacekeeping forces are very seldom
according to their Islamic tenets and disciplined. According to a bulk of the force driving overland across 600 km of roads often in willing to engage pro-actively in combat. Member countries

diplomatic source in Bangui, their weapons are almost all brand atrocious condition. Due to weather and terrain, this involved a release their forces with so many restrictive conditions that it is

new, ‘out-of-the-box’ sophisticated Russian and Chinese. tough three-day haul. almost impossible to get the mission’s mandates implemented.
They include an array of mortars, RPG-7 grenades as well as In the process, several bridges had to be constructed across riv- Moreover, most of them are ill-equipped, not well trained, badly
12.7mm and 14.5mm heavy machine-guns. So far, no enemy land- ers, sturdy enough to handle armoured vehicles that weighed tons disciplined and most have more of a regimental incline than com-

mines have been detected in any of the operational areas. and included the 8x8 Portuguese army Pandur armoured vehicles. bat readiness.”
In keeping with insurgencies elsewhere in Africa - Somalia and There were rebel ambushes aplenty. The present UN force commander of the 14,000 strong UN

Mali in particular - some have Toyota ‘Technicals’ - pick-up trucks An excerpt from the post-operational report declared “Upon military contingent in the country is Senegalese Lt-General Balla

with heavy weapons mounted on their flatbeds and ideal for coun- the arrival of the RRF about 20 kilometres southwest of Boca- Keïta, a charming, ebullient senior office who in earlier years distin-

tering any air presence considered by their ‘warlord’ commanders ranga on 26 September 2019, it was observed by the air forces guished himself in his own country’s elite Commando Battalion.

to be hostile. (helicopters and the new “Raven” Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) A staunch Muslim himself and not afraid of tackling problems at

That would include both the French air force as well as UN heli- the precipitated escape of several elements belonging to the source, he is held in great respect by all senior officers under his

copter support units that usually field a pair of Mi-24 Hind chopper opposing armed group. Russian ‘advisors’ who had been working command.

gunships from the Senegalese Air Force and two Pakistani Mi-17s, with that rebel group had fled earlier, having been tipped off by He in turn, displays great affection for his Portuguese rapid reac-

Drones have become as much a feature of CAR one of each usually operating in tandem in support operations. somebody in Bangui. tion force and actually refers to them as “my personal Christiano

operations as the men handling them One consistent criticism of gunship operations while working with In a subsequent interview with Brigadier-General Eric Peltier, Renaldo squad”. The general is on record as stating that “I give

UN ground forces was that Senegalese crews manning the Hinds French head of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in those RRF fellows impossible tasks and they follow my orders to

rarely ventured lower than 4,000 ft AGL during fire-fights in the Bangui, it was confirmed that rebel infiltration through the Camer- the letter... they are tough, forceful and organised...”

bush. Pakistani pilots in contrast, are a lot bolder, their side-gunners oons was a comparatively new development that did not bode well Big, bluff and at times intimidatingly forthright, General Balla

usually giving fire support from just above tree-top level. for the future of the country. Keïta is not afraid to act when necessary and in a civil war where

During the course of the UN operation last September, a Mi-24 He was aware too that the Cameroon Republic military (ground Islamic radicals are pitted against the majority Christians and ani-

helicopter crashed and the Senegalese crew killed in circumstances and air units) are now battling Boko Haram terror groups along mists, it says a lot that he has no axe to grind.
that remain unclear. MINUSCA command stated that the Hind had the country’s north-western border with Nigeria and concurrently, Asked how he was shaping with local politicians, the UN officer

suffered an engine failure, yet anyone familiar with the Mi-24 is attempting to counter infiltration from Chad through the CAR’s was disarmingly candid. “I do not trust them” he declared.

aware that the machine has two engines and it would be extremely north-eastern frontier region.

“How can I when most of them have already moved their money
unlikely for both to simultaneously fail. One of the more interesting comments about the Portuguese-led and their families to Europe...these are really not the sort of peo-

More to the point, headquarters staff back in Bangui spoke quite strike into the north-west came from a retired South African senior
openly about the gunship having been ‘shot down’, though I was member of the United Nations (an erstwhile colonel with the SADF ple who have the interests of the CAR at heart.

never able to make any kind of confirmation. Clearly, it made sense reconnaissance regiment or ‘Recces’) who served for many years While determined efforts are being made to incorporate all 14

for the UN to claim that it suffered technical difficulties, if only in various conflict countries in which the UN had troops. These amed groups - many of them Islamic and hostile towards the Ban-

to avoid giving the Islamic rebels a psychological boost in their included Somalia, Afghanistan and both Sudans. gui government - within the UN peacekeeping

attempts to overrun the country. His words were succinct. “The recent professional and effective dispensation, this is proving difficult because of

An early morning departure from the main The operation in which the helicopters were involved and which operation by Portuguese UN forces in the CAR is very encouraging. Russian involvement with them.

Bangui base of 60-strong IFV unit towards involved 60 mainly Humvee infantry fighting vehicles led by the In all my years working with UN Peacekeeping Forces, Lisbon’s pro- Additionally, Moscow’s Foreign Ministry

the Cameroon border last September Portuguese Airborne force lay outside the Koui Region (about 25 fessionals demonstrated what all member state troop contributing announced in March 2018 that Russia was To page 52

Al Venter (centre) with members of a UN-linked Portuguese Paratroop An ATC specialist with the Portuguese Airborne unit prior to despatch

squad at Bangui Airport, Central African Republic - September 2019 to the north-east during recent bush operations in the north-west
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