Reports of dozens of missing SA soldiers

But at the same time‚ Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula denied in parliament that more than 13 South Africans died in the fighting‚ which erupted when rebel leader Michel Djotodia led thousands of insurgents into Bangui.

Hours earlier France's RFI radio reported that according to Seleka rebel commander General Arda Hakouma‚ at least 36 South African National Defence Force soldiers were killed during the fighting which erupted on 23 March.

The RFI's correspondent in Bangui‚ Cyril Bensimon‚ also quoted an anonymous source as saying he was at the French military base at Bangui airport on 25 March and saw 50 body-bags ready to be loaded onto a Hercules C-130 transport plane sent from SA and due to be flown to Pretoria.

"We will investigate the matter and keep South Africans informed‚" Nkoana-Mashabane said in reply to a question on the reports at a media briefing.

"In any coup there will be loss of lives‚ there will also be other unforeseen circumstances. We will verify the facts and come back to you. We have not received such reports," she said.

President Jacob Zuma announced on Wednesday (3 April) that the remaining South African soldiers stationed in the CAR, under the terms of a bilateral agreement entered into in 2007, would be brought home.

Djotodia ousted President Francois Bozize and appointed himself president of the country‚ creating a transitional government headed by civilian prime minister Nicolas Tiangaye.

Zuma attended an extraordinary summit of leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States (Eccass) in Chad's capital of N'Djamena on Wednesday (3 April)‚ called to discuss the situation in the CAR.

Nkoana-Mashabane said that the leaders had decided the country's new government was not legitimate and would send a team of ministers to the country to convey this message.

When they returned‚ another Eccass meeting would be convened to view the team's feedback‚ she said.