Government Reveals That SANDF Forces in Goma Under Severe Attack, Retreat Is Tactically Unsound

• The Minister of Defence, Angie Motshekga, confirmed that the remains of the 14 SANDF members who died in the DRC are held up in Uganda
• The soldiers died during an ambush attack by the M23 rebels launched at the Goma airport
• She also informed the members of Parliament that the soldiers were under attack in the Goma region and a retreat would not be a viable tactical decision

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, provided local and international analysis and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.

PARLIAMENT WESTERN CAPE— The minister of defence Angie Motshekga informed members of Parliament that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is currently under attack in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

SANDF taking fire in DRC

Motshekga addressed MPs during an urgent debate which discussed the SANDF deployment to the DRC. Politicians have been calling for the government to withdraw SANDF troops from Goma. The calls came after 14 soldiers were killed during an ambush attack late in January 2025. The M23 rebels have mounted an intensified attack and have pushed the Congolese military and the supporting SANDF forces against the wall.

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What did Ronald Lamola say?

The Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, dismissed the opposition's proposals to recall the troops, He explained that abruptly retreating would be a tactical nightmare as the number of armed groups in the region makes the possibility of the ambush higher.

When will the 14 soldiers return?

Motshekga said the remains of the fallen soldiers have been delayed in Uganda by a medical process. She confirmed however that the remains will be returned by Thursday.

What you need to know about DRC conflict

• President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed 2,900 soldiers to the DRC for the peacekeeping mission
• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and The Eastern African Community (EAC) hosted a summit to discuss solutions to end the conflict
• The Congolese government is prosecuting 75 soldiers who fled an advancement from the M23 rebels

South Africans react

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Congo government to prosecute soldiers who fled M23 rebels and attacked civilians

Netizens commenting on The South African’s Facebook page blasted Cyril Ramaphosa’s choice of Defence Minister.

Masango Doctorsen said:

“With all due respect to Angie, she is not an ideal person to be the Defence Minister. Cyril must take us seriously.”

William Appel said:

“The death of these soldiers is going to haunt the president and Angie forever. Their mission failed.”

Ntokozo Okmalumteekay said:

“Angie Motshekha is too old to be the Minister of Defence. That’s why our country is no longer respected.”

Felicity Sos Gal Alamu said:

“Angie is a disgrace.”

Willem En Monica Willemse said:

“The timeframe to get them home is a disgrace.”

SANDF denies surrendering to M23 forces

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the SANDF denied that its troops surrendered to the rebel forces after a video of them waving a white flag went viral. The SANDF explained that the waving of the flag was not a sign of surrender.

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Southern African leaders call for immediate ceasefire in the DRC

They said that it is customary practice during the war for the opposing forces to declare a temporary truce to retrieve the bodies of the soldiers who died in battle.

Source: Briefly News