The remains of 14 South African soldiers who died in fighting in eastern DR Congo were on Friday, February 7, repatriated to their country, after being given passage through Rwanda. ALSO READ: You sent our soldiers to die in DR Congo for selfish interests - South African MPs to government The dead soldiers were part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployed under the Southern African Development Community mission in DR Congo (SAMIDRC) supporting a Congolese army coalition that comprised the genocidal militia from Rwanda, FDLR, European mercenaries, and Burundian troops, in the battle against the AFC/M23 rebels. Their bodies were repatriated by the UN mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) through the Rwanda-DR Congo border in Rubavu District. After arriving in Rwanda, The New Times understands that the vehicles carrying the bodies continued to Cyanika border between Rwanda and Uganda, from where they will continue to South Africa. ALSO READ: SADC mission in DR Congo should withdraw, says South African defence analyst Following the capture of Goma, the South African troops were confined to their base in Sake and at Goma airport. According to AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, they were being facilitated with water and food. Kanyuka also asked the South African government to withdraw all its troops in eastern DR Congo. ALSO READ: Malawi orders troops out of eastern DR Congo “M23 have no intention of harming SANDF who are in their base with all their weapons. M23 is facilitating the provision of food and water. They should ask their government to repatriate them immediately. The remains of their fallen colleagues are being repatriated today by MONUSCO.” South Africa has over 1,500 troops in DR Congo under the SADC mission deployed in December 2023. Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, on February 5, ordered his country’s defence forces to begin preparations for withdrawing from eastern DR Congo. About 3,000 other Congolese soldiers and their allies are still in the MONUSCO base. Meanwhile, East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders are meeting in Dar es Salama, Tanzania, to find a lasting solution to the crisis in eastern DR Congo. The AFC/M23 has accused MONUSCO of facilitating the release of armed Congolese soldiers and FDLR elements in their custody with the intention of killing civilians in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province which was captured by the rebels last week. On February 6, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said MONUSCO released 100 armed Congolese army and FDLR militia fighters into Goma to “kill civilians”. The FDLR is a DR Congo-based terrorist militia founded by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. ALSO READ: DR Congo soldiers commend Rwanda's hospitality after fleeing their country “We are alerting the public about the criminal activities of MONUSCO in Goma: it released 100 armed FARDC and FDLR elements into the city to kill civilians,” Kanyuka posted on X. He said they had captured five of the infiltrators—three FARDC and two FDLR fighters—who were found in possession of four rifles and three grenades. Soon after capturing the city, the rebels moved to ensure a return to normalcy and, on February 5, the AFC/M23 appointed new leaders for North Kivu Province. In an announcement, the rebel leaders said there was “a need and urgency to organize the territorial administration in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” Joseph Bahati Musanga was appointed governor of North Kivu. Goma and the entire province now enjoy tranquillity which residents say they have not known for decades.
