Any person in Iraq runs a very high risk of being killed, said the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Responding to the death of two more South Africans who were gunned down on Tuesday in a roadside attack on their convoy, ISS analyst Henri Boshoff said more deaths should be expected.
”Any person working in Iraq runs a high risk of being killed because of the intensity [of militants] to derail the election,” Boshoff said.
He agreed with United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s view that as the election date draws near, violence will escalate.
”They [militants] don’t want people to elect a government because that would mean the people recognise the process,” Boshoff said.
With this in mind, Boshoff feels the ”grey area” regarding the legality of South Africans working for security companies in Iraq should be addressed by the South African government.
”The [Regulation of] Foreign Military Assistance Act does not expressly prohibit security companies working in other countries as it does with mercenaries, but it also does not condone it. I believe that if the government feels it is legal, then deployment of South Africans in Iraq should be coordinated,” he said.
Describing Iraq as a very dangerous and hostile area, Boshoff said the people hired to protect others will be the natural target of militants bent on thwarting the reconstruction process.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Wednesday that two more South Africans were killed in Iraq, bringing the number of South African killed there this year to 11.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said the government was still trying to gather details concerning the attack but declared that the two men had been employed by Omega Risk Solutions in Iraq.
Omega Risk Solutions’ West African and Middle East manager, Cobus de Kock, said Johan Botha (37) and Louis Campher (43) were killed in an attack at 6.30am South African time on Tuesday while travelling from one construction site to another, 11km south of Baghdad.
”Botha and Campher were the only two men killed when their convoy came under fire,” he said.
He said the men were security managers for the company.
De Kock explained that Omega protects construction workers rebuilding in war-torn Iraq.
Refusing to say exactly how many South Africans are working for Omega in Iraq, De Kock said it is a ”significant number”.
He said construction workers are regularly attacked by militants and it is Omega’s job to protect them. Its specialised vehicles are all unmarked as it is advisable to keep as low a profile in Iraq as possible.
Botha, a former soldier of 121 Battalion in Piet Retief, joined Omega on September 15 this year after working for in the security industry in Angola. Campher, a former police officer, joined the company on August 1.
De Kock said arrangements have been made for their bodies to be flown back to South Africa.
The Department of Foreign Affairs estimates that more than 4 000 South Africans are currently employed in Iraq. — Sapa
Two more South Africans killed in Iraq