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158
“It was a hot zone and there was intense gunfire. We didn’t
know who was who. We were primarily concerned about
the safety of individuals. We could not give orders to
civilians, thousands of them and enforce those orders to
keep inside, stay indoors and keep out of the way of gunfire.
So the safest option for us to do was to remove them from
the hot zone and that is why there was mass detention and
separation as we battled the criminals on the ground. As
soon as it was possible to re-unite citizens with their
community that was done and so the considerations were
citizens’ security, their own safety, preventing obstruction of
the men and women who were conducting the operation,
preserving evidence, ensuring that citizens did not get
caught in crossfire between the security forces and the
criminals who were embedded in the community.”
7.73.
Detentions were done after high intensity violence subsided or
ceased and after house clearing and searches had been conducted of the houses
from which the detainees were taken. The matter of detentions is discussed
more fully in Chapter 14.
(v) Selection and Use of Weapons Other Than Mortars
7.74.
The selection of appropriate weapons that allow the security forces
effectively to accomplish their mission but which also recognise the safety of
civilians, is a responsibility of the leadership and operational commanders of the
security forces. The use of weapons should be strictly controlled to avoid
unnecessary harm to civilians.
7.75.
The JDF released a list of weapons that were deployed and used
during the operation and it provided information of the extent to which these
weapons were used, viz. the number of rounds fired by a particular type of
weapon. Two .50 calibre sniper rifles were deployed by the CSB for the very
specific task of “defeating the Tivoli sniper”, according to Maj. Williams.
7.76.
Further, the use of weapons by the JDF was governed by the Chief
of Staff’s “Orders for Opening Fire”, a copy of which every soldier was required