News / Africa
Jacob Zuma's secret deal with dictator
25 Aug 2013 at 02:29hrs | Views
Johannesburg - The Central African Republic's ousted dictator Francois Bozize says South Africa President's broken promises made during a secret back-room deal led to his downfall, news24 reported.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Times in Paris last week, the deposed strongman said that he sent his son, Jean Francis Bozize, then the CAR's defence minister, to Pretoria in December to cut a deal with Jacob Zuma to send enough South African troops and weapons to halt the Seleka rebel advance on the capital, Bangui - but far fewer than promised arrived.
He also said he held frantic talks for three hours with Zuma just three days before Bangui fell, to remind him to honour their back-room deal. He said he held Chad's President Idriss Deby, his former friend who backed the coup that put Bozize in power in 2003, personally responsible for the deaths of 15 South African soldiers when his troops let rebel columns advance on Bangui without putting up a fight.
Bozize said he is lobbying for support to return to power, hinting that he might use force if necessary.
The original defence agreement between South Africa and the CAR, negotiated by former president Thabo Mabeki, provided for 28 troops to be sent to Bangui in 2007 as military trainers and to beef up Bozize's presidential guard. This deal was secretly renewed for another five years in December, when Bozize sent his son to meet Zuma. Another 200 troops arrived in Bangui in January.
But he said the number of troops sent fell far short of the number promised by Zuma.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Times in Paris last week, the deposed strongman said that he sent his son, Jean Francis Bozize, then the CAR's defence minister, to Pretoria in December to cut a deal with Jacob Zuma to send enough South African troops and weapons to halt the Seleka rebel advance on the capital, Bangui - but far fewer than promised arrived.
He also said he held frantic talks for three hours with Zuma just three days before Bangui fell, to remind him to honour their back-room deal. He said he held Chad's President Idriss Deby, his former friend who backed the coup that put Bozize in power in 2003, personally responsible for the deaths of 15 South African soldiers when his troops let rebel columns advance on Bangui without putting up a fight.
The original defence agreement between South Africa and the CAR, negotiated by former president Thabo Mabeki, provided for 28 troops to be sent to Bangui in 2007 as military trainers and to beef up Bozize's presidential guard. This deal was secretly renewed for another five years in December, when Bozize sent his son to meet Zuma. Another 200 troops arrived in Bangui in January.
But he said the number of troops sent fell far short of the number promised by Zuma.
Source - News24
