Despite the government quoting there were 13 South African casualties from the recent military clash with Central African Republic rebels, an anonymous witness has claimed there were more than 50 South African casualties, adding to suspicions that the government is not giving the true death toll. The issue of whether the South African military should be involved in the country has put pressure on the South African government, with some suggesting that they are downplaying the death toll so as not to provoke more anger among the population. The anonymous witness says he was present at the French military base near Bangui where he claims he saw more than 50 body bags being loaded onto an aircraft sent by Pretoria, with other bodies still arriving as the 50 were loaded onto the plane. The rebel leader of the Seleka coalition, General Arda Hakouma, claims he saw "36 South African dead and 22 wounded", as well as the prisoners they handed over to Fomac.
Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201304040594.html
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