WeeklySA_AdminDEPLOYMENT: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission suffers grave casualties during skirmish with M23 rebels…
By Lehlohonolo Lehana
One South African soldier was killed and 13 others injured Thursday in fighting against rebels yesterday in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said.
The SANDF soldiers serving in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) have been caught up in the latest fighting between government forces and M23 rebels, with one soldier killed in action and 13 wounded.
Since early 2024, a regional force of SADC, composed essentially of military elements from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, has been deployed in North Kivu, to counter the M23 rebels who have taken control of territories in the province.
Yesterday, violent fighting broke out between the M23 rebels and the DRC military and its allies, including the SADC, near the town of Sake, which is considered the last barrier between the rebels and Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu and a strategic, tourist and commercial city in the region.
Heavy artillery fires were heard throughout the day in the combat zone.
The M23 rebels who occupy areas in Rutshuru territory and the Masisi territory of North Kivu, have also engaged in combats against the DRX military in the town of Kanyabayonga in the Lubero territory, where a mass civilian displacement fleeing the fights has been reported.
Kanyabayonga town, where nearly 35 000 internally displaced persons are currently taking refuge, is also considered a strategic gateway that controls access to the northern part of North Kivu province and as far as the resource-rich and war-torn Ituri province. Sandu cautioned that silence only undermines public confidence. It also sends its condolences to the deceased member’s family and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed up to 2 900 SANDF soldiers to SAMIDRC until mid-December. SAMIDRC will fill much of the gap left by the departure this year of the United Nations mission (MONUSCO) in the DRC. Apart from confirmation of 2 900 South African military personnel being contributed under Operation Thiba at a cost of R2.37 billion, there is no information from the SADC on the number of troops from Malawi and Tanzania that will make up the rest of the 5 000-strong SAMIDRC force.
SAMIDRC troops have already taken multiple casualties, including three Tanzanian soldiers killed by rebel mortar fire on April 8, and another three injured. In February, M23 rebels fired at a South African Air Force (SAAF) Oryx helicopter, which was hit at least 43 times by suspected AK-47 and PK machine gun fire during a MONUSCO medical evacuation mission, injuring one of the pilots and a medical orderly.
The M23 rebels that SAMIDRC are facing are being equipped with modern weapons, including Rwandan-supplied surface-to-air missiles. They are also highly familiar with the terrain and can operate easily amongst the local population. The SANDF has limited to no air support and far too few troops on the ground, leaving them vulnerable. www.fullview.co.za
