South African army chief says troops ready for Congo after learning lessons in CAR

PRETORIA, South Africa – The head of the South African army says soldiers who will join a United Nations military mission in Congo will be adequately prepared even though his overall force is overstretched and underfunded.

Lt. Gen. V.R. Masondo also told media at a breakfast meeting on Thursday that the South African units bound for Congo are being helped in their training by troops who participated in a mission in Central African Republic, where rebels killed 14 South African soldiers in March.

Masondo says the army learned lessons in Central African Republic. He did elaborate.

The U.N. Security Council has authorized a new "intervention brigade" for Congo with an unprecedented mandate to take offensive military action against rebel groups to help bring peace to the east.