Pretoria – The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has dismissed reports that it will send its members to help fight Boko Haram in Nigeria.
These reports are reckless and unfortunate, SANDF Chief Lieutenant General Solly Shoke said on Wednesday.
“There is no such decision to send any military elements by the Republic of South Africa to assist with the fight against Boko Haram,” Shoke said.
His statement comes after reports that claimed part of the reason a South African delegation visited Nigeria this week was to seal a deal which will see special forces deployed to fight the Islamic extremist group.
Shoke, however, confirmed that bilateral discussions took place between the South African Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and her Nigerian counterpart, Mansur Dan Ali, on Monday in Nigeria.
“These bilateral discussions took place as part of the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans’ defence diplomacy initiatives with various countries in the region, the continent and the rest of the world,” he said, adding that South Africa has military-to-military relations across the continent and beyond.
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