The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) last night confirmed that nine members had been killed over two days of fierce fighting in the DRC this week, describing the soldiers as “gallant fighters” who put up a “heroic resistance” that prevented rebels in the DRC from taking over the city of Goma.
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said in a statement released last night that the number of soldiers injured was still to be confirmed.
“After two days of fierce fighting with the M23 rebel group in the eastern DRC, the South African contingent and its counterparts were able to halt the advancement of the rebel group towards Goma, the provincial capital of the eastern DRC.
“The M23 hostile forces had launched a full-scale attack on our troops with the intention of taking over Goma, but were unable to advance due to the heroic resistance put up by our gallant fighters. Our forces were not only able to halt the M23 advancement but were able to push them back. The intention of the M23, among others, is also to take over the city of Goma, but it met with heavy resistance from the SANDF contingent, which managed to prevent them from proceeding into Goma.
“In the course of this gallant resistance against M23 rebels, the SANDF lost nine members by Friday, after two days of fierce fighting. Seven of these members were part of the South African contingent deployed in the eastern DRC in December 2023 as part of the 16-member regional bloc Sadc mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and two members were from Monusco.”
Monusco is the French acronym for the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.
“The number of injured is still to be confirmed, however a few suffered various degrees of injury,” Dlamini said.
“The process of informing families of the deceased members is under way.”
The deaths follow seven other fatalities at the hands of the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels last year, including two in a mortar attack on an SANDF base in June.
The latest fatal clash coincided with a South African government delegation visit to the DRC led by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga, who is pushing a “soldier first” approach since her appointment last year.
South African troops form part of a 5,000-strong Southern African Development Community (Sadc) mission, deployed early last year.
But while the SANDF hailed the success of the troops to hold back the rebels, the South African National Defence Union (Sandu) said the soldiers were reportedly heavily outgunned by a rebel group on Thursday.
The DA yesterday called for the withdrawal of the “undertrained” South African troops.
“The South African casualties come after repeated questions by the DA about preparedness after years of throttled budgets which resulted in cutbacks in training, failure to modernise equipment, reduced serviceability of equipment, including main battle equipment, and the withdrawal of air support.
“The DA repeats its call for the withdrawal of the SANDF forces from the DRC. The continued deployment of undertrained, underequipped and undersupported South African soldiers in an escalating regional conflict cannot be supported,” Hattingh said.
The idea that 5,000 South African troops without air support could somehow achieve what 15,000 Monusco troops could not, is at best laughable.
— Helmoed Heitman, a veteran defence analyst
Motshekga’s spokesperson, Onnika Kwakwa, said more information would only be released this week. “I’m not able to get hold of the minister. I know they have bad signal [in the DRC],” said Kwakwa.
Helmoed Heitman, a veteran defence analyst, said SA’s DRC deployment lacked the necessary support, particularly air support.
“I would probably withdraw them if we cannot support them properly. And for the time being we cannot, with neither the Rooivalk nor the fighter force ready for combat deployment.
“Also, we have a problem right next door in Mozambique which holds greater risk for us. And we don't have enough troops to cover our borders effectively; comply with all the internal missions (for instance Eskom and zama zamas); intervene to real effect in Mozambique; and deploy a useful force in the DRC. We have to choose.”
Heitman said it was clear the troops should not have been deployed without air support — “at the very least a Rooivalk/Oryx mix but ideally also Gripen, if only for its day/night reconnaissance capability, though precision strikes would also help”.
He said the lack of [our own] airlift to fly in supplies and perhaps reinforcements and to evacuate casualties was also deeply concerning.
“More generally worrying is that we deployed with the politicians billing it as a ‘peacekeeping mission’ when it is clearly not that. At best it is an enforcement mission, more honestly a war-fighting mission on the side of the DRC forces and, sadly, the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda). You might say we went in with our eyes wide shut.”
Of the dead soldiers, Sandu said, “Their sacrifice, along with the injuries sustained by at least 14 other SANDF members during ongoing battles in the region, is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those working to uphold peace and stability.”
Circumstances around the fatal incident remain unclear, but unconfirmed reports suggest the troops came under fire near the eastern DRC town of Sake. The M23 rebels have seized several smaller towns in recent months in North Kivu province, including the strategically important port town of Minova on the shores of Lake Kivu, according to local defence news website DefenceWeb.
Heitman questioned the logic of deploying 5,000 troops at a time when the UN had begun withdrawing its own peacekeeping force (Monusco) from the eastern DRC.
“The idea that 5,000 South African troops without air support could somehow achieve what 15,000 Monusco troops could not, is at best laughable,” Heitman said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.