On 13th August Brig Gen Dr MP Sereko addressed the Society telling us more about a UN peacekeeping Mission in the DRC during 2005-6 (MONUC). He was in command of 2 South African Infantry battalion - over 14 000 troops plus officers - who formed part of a multinational force trying to encourage the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) to leave Eastern Congo and return to their origins in Uganda.
This Islamic-State allied force was creating havoc in the mineral-rich enclave, and although peace agreements had nominally been signed, none of the individual ADF members were interested in being disarmed and repatriated, which was the UN soldiers' intention towards ADF.
South Africa had been involved with MONUC from 2002 to 2026, only recently [2026] having withdrawn from participation in the UN force due to economic constraints.
The sheer size of the Congo, the extent of its tropical jungles and its sad lack of roads made the fighting very difficult. By the end of the South Africans' 7 month deployment, all the terrorist camps in the area assigned to them had been destroyed, large quantities of arms had been captured and/or destroyed and a handful of ADF partisans had been sent for re-education hoping they would leave the DRC.
The General's slides included marvellous maps and he manipulated many identifying tokens to show the various troop movements at each engagement.
In all, the first part of his lecture covered three areas of responsibility along the Congolese Eastern Border - one of which was the Virunga Mountains where the Gorilla Sanctuary is at risk - and he highlighted the multicultural and multi-level nature of UN forces. This gave rise to unintended problems - for example extracting casualties via helicopter was hindered by requests for help having to be relayed all the way back to Kinshasa in the western part of the country before orders were given to the pilots to fly.
He mentioned the successful use of popular music - played loudly on vehicles entering the villages - which drew the locals out to dance in the streets, ensuring they got out of the way of any subsequent fighting between embedded terrorists from the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and the UN forces eg in Kanyabayonga. Many other insurgent groups mainly entering from Uganda continue to cause problems in this area, resulting in the largest UN peacekeeping operation in the world.
This soldier, scholar - with doctorates from an Indian as well as North West Universities - and security consultant in his retirement from the SADF, has also recently published "Command" which details much more of his active service including in Angola and is available via Amazon and Exclusive books.
His lecture is recorded on the website in the video library.
FORTHCOMING ATTRACTIONS - ZOOMINARS
Johannesburg
Thursday 10th September 2026 at 19h30 and then 20h15
Speaker: Brian Wilford
Subject: Air Power from the 1920's to the 1960s.
If you would like invitations to the ZOOMinars send an email to scribe@samilitaryhistory.org
Eastern Cape Branch (SAMHSEC)
SAMHSEC Zoominars
Monday 14th September 2026 19h30 and then 20h15
Speaker: PLEASE VOLUNTEER URGENTLY!
Subject: Contact André‚ Crozier andrecrozier@gmail.com
Chairman Malcolm Kinghorn has a backup lecture about the Montreux Convention of 1936 governing the movement of ships through the Bosphorus Strait should no offer be received by 11 September.
SAMHSEC RPC
The next RPC (Request the Pleasure of your Company) Zoominar will be on
Monday 28th September from 19h30.
Details will be in the invitations
Next KwaZulu-Natal Branch Meeting
Saturday 5th September at 1-30 for 2pm
The next meeting will be one week earlier than usual on the 5th September due to St Cyprians preparing for their Patronal Festival on our usual 12th September. We will be honoured to have as our main speaker the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Base Durban, Rear Admiral Neville Howell who will speak on the SA Navy with special reference to our submarine service where he served on both the original Daphn‚ class and our newer Heroine Class. A meeting not to be missed!
His address will be preceded by a short (DDH) presentation by Mark Levin on the WW1 anti-German riots in Durban when a number of suspected German owned shops and businesses were torched and burnt. Similar mob violence occurred in Britain and colonies world wide following the German sinking of the trans-Atlantic liner Lusitania with large loss of civilian lives.
The meeting will take place at St Cyprians Church Hall off Umbilo Rd, with secure parking and liquid refreshments available for cash. Entry is free and open to all, with visitors welcome, but a donation of R20 for the car guard which also gives entry into the monthly raffle is requested from all attendees.
Enquiries to Phil Everitt,
Chair KZN Branch,
SAMHS,
Cell or WhatsApp: 0844371636.
Condolences to the families of Tania van der Watt and Brian Thomas
These stalwarts of the KZN branch, both of whom were honorary life members of the Society, passed away in August and deepest sympathy is extended to their families.
Condolences to the family of Anne Little
The widow of Capt Ivor Little, also an honorary life member, passed away on 5 August.
Deepest sympathy is extended to her family.
BRANCH CONTACT DETAILS
Eastern Cape details contact Malcolm Kinghorn 041-373-4469 culturev@lantic.net
Gauteng details contact Joan Marsh 010-237-0676 scribe@samilitaryhistory.org
KwaZulu-Natal details contact Prof Phil Everitt 084-437-1636 everitt@iafrica.com