Bodies of South African Soldiers Killed in DRC Repatriated

The remains of two South African soldiers who were killed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been repatriated.  

 The South African Contingent is part of the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIRC) that is deployed to support and assist the government of DRC in its effort to bring peace, security and stability in that region.

“SADC would like to extend its heartfelt condolences to the families of the 2 South African Soldiers killed and the other three that got injured in Goma, a bomb attack in the Eastern DRC under SAMIDRC,” said SADC on Friday, adding, “May their souls rest in peace.”

On 14 February 2024 at about 1330 hours, a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African Contingent military bases inflicting casualties and injuries to the SAND soldiers.

As a result of this indirect fire, the South African forces suffered two fatalities while three members sustained injuries.

These were the first South African soldiers to be killed in DRC since the beginning of their deployment on December 15, 2023. 

Deployment 

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this week said his country would contribute 2,900 soldiers under SADC to defeat the M23 rebels who have captured large swathes of land in North Kivu. 

 The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Thandi Modise, the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Thabang Makwetla, the Acting Secretary for Defence, Dr Thobekile Gamede and the Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya expressed their “heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers and wish the injured members a speedy recovery.”

Working with Tanzanian armed forces under the SADC joint force, the South African forces have been shoring up the Congolese army’s defences to prevent the M23 rebels from capturing key towns in eastern DRC, especially Sake and Goma-  the capital of North Kivu.

In 2012, M23 seized Goma, compelling  SADC to form the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) comprising forces from Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa which defeated the rebels in North Kivu a year later. 

The defeated insurgents fled to Rwanda and Uganda where they were cantoned for over five years before sneaking back to DRC to wage war. 

The M23 rebels accuse DRC authorities of reneging on their commitment to integrate them in the armed forces and helping the Rwandan genocide group, FDLR, to terrorise Tutsi communities in North Kivu.

However, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has described the M23 as a terrorist group backed by Rwanda to destabilise and exploit Congo’s natural resources, claims Kigali denies.