SA shootings in Burundi probed
2005-05-20 23:14
Pretoria - A South African soldier was shot dead in Bujumbura, Burundi, and four others wounded after a [fellow soldier] opened fire on them on Friday morning.
After the shooting, the soldier killed himself in his tent with the weapon.
This is the third incident in Burundi in which South African peace-keeping soldiers have fired on their own colleagues in the past two years.
The group of guards, who had been on night guard duty at the palace base where most of the South African soldiers are stationed, had just come off duty when they were shot at.
They were on their way to hand in the R-4 weapons and ammunition they carry during guard duty, when their colleague set his weapon on automatic and started firing.
It is believed he and the soldier who was killed had had an argument earlier that night.
One soldier was shot several times in the body, while three of the wounded were hit in the lower leg and one in the thigh.
Names being withheld
According to the defence force, the wounded soldiers were taken to the Pakistani hospital in Bujumbura for treatment.
The man wounded in the thigh is in a serious condition, while those shot in the lower legs are not.
The names of the victims have not been released yet. Soldiers deployed in Bujumbura are drawn from 4 SA Infantry battalion (Middelburg) and 12 SA Infantry (Potchefstroom).
The defence force and the United Nations, which is in charge of the peacekeeping forces, have begun investigations into the shootings to find what caused them.
The shootings come in the wake of a recently completed defence force investigation into the commanding officer's performance in Bujumbura.
It is believed that the defence force may decide to withdraw the commanding officer.
In the past few weeks there have been complaints of weak discipline and a lack of control of the South African troops.
In November last year, gunner Elvin Hendricks was shot dead at point-blank range, apparently by a fellow soldier, while the two were part of the static guard unit at the palace base.
Cahrged with rape and murder
Shortly before that, sergeant Jongilizwe Nodada died in Bujumbura after being hit by a vehicle while he was crossing the street, apparently under the influence of liquor.
Sergeant Philippus Jacobus Venter, 32, from the Hoedspruit air force base, is awaiting trial after being charged with allegedly raping and murdering a Burundian prostitute in September last year.
About two years ago, a corporal was shot dead by a fellow soldier because he had fired on a senior officer.
In the past two months, the UN, in an attempt to curb revelry among peacekeeping troops in Bujumbura, has introduced a curfew banning soldiers from being "outside" the base later than 23:00.