Defense Forces Major Talks About Situation on the Ground in CAR
Major Andrus Merilo, who was part of the scouting mission to the Central African Republic a few weeks ago, said that Africa is far less dangerous than the part of Afghanistan the Estonian contingent there was stationed in, but added that violence can break out quickly.
Speaking to Eesti Päevaleht today, Merilo said that Estonian troops still do not know what task they will perform, and they could end up providing security in a refugee camp with a population of 40,000 to 80,000, which international aid agencies have deemed too dangerous for relief operations.
He said that the infrastructure allows them to move around in armored vehicles and they can relay on backup, adding that a great bonus is the current lack of IEDs.
With temperatures hovering around 30 C in the country, some 50 C more than in Estonia, Merilo said that troops will have a minimum of ten days to acclimatize, adding that for him personally, it was harder to return to Estonian temperatures.