South Africa has once again denied that it deployed troops to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram.
“This follows reports that Nigeria has brought in hundreds of mercenaries from South Africa and the former Soviet Union to give its offensive against Boko Haram a shot in the arm before the March 28 elections,” SANews.gov said.
The reports claim that troops and foreigners, believed to be military contractors, were patrolling the flashpoint city of Maiduguri.
“These people are not members of the SANDF,” SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini was quoted as saying, adding that South African mercenaries would be prosecuted.
The news comes a few days after Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group.
However, the Nigerian government has called the pledge an act of desperation.
