SANDF Soldiers Killed Fighting M23 Rebels in Eastern DRC, Mzansi Says: “Bring Our Soldiers Home”

• South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were killed during fighting with M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
• The members were killed after being attacked by M23 rebels who were attempting to take Goma, the provincial capital of Eastern DRC
• South Africans questioned why the soldiers were fighting in the DRC and called on the government to bring them back home

Nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

SANDF confirmed that the nine soldiers were killed during intense fighting with M23 rebels over two days in Eastern DRC.

Seven of the soldiers were part of a contingent deployed to the area in December to help restore peace and security in the eastern DRC.

SANDF halts progress of M23 rebels

In an official statement released on Saturday, 25 January, the SANDF confirmed the deaths of the nine soldiers, while also noting that several soldiers were injured. The exact total of injured members, and the degrees of injuries suffered, are still to be confirmed.

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SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini explained that the fatalities occurred after M23 rebels launched a full-scale attack on soldiers in an attempt to take over Goma, the provincial capital of eastern DRC.

“Our members were not only able to halt the M23 advancement but were able to push them back. The intention of the M23, amongst others, is also to take over the city of Goma, but it met with heavy resistance from the SANDF contingent,” he said.

The latest incident is not the first time SANDF members were killed in the DRC. On 15 February 2024, two soldiers were killed and three others injured. A mortar attack on 25 June 2024 left another two soldiers dead and injured 20 others.

Social media questions why DRC

South Africans took to social media to reflect on the news, with many saying that the soldiers needed to come back home, while others questioned why they were in the DRC.

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@mzuzups said:

“Rubbish. It’s not worth it. Bring our soldiers home.”

@ThaboFresh asked:

“What's your interest in the DRC? Just next door, in Mozambique, there are reports of violent attacks from rebels. Rebels that can take less than 3 hours to cross into SA on foot. I haven't heard of your involvement in trying to avert that, which could easily affect us here. Why DRC?”

@visse_ss added:

“The loss of nine SANDF members in the DRC is a tragedy that reflects poorly on the leadership's decisions to deploy our troops in conflicts that are not directly tied to South Africa's national interests. Bring back our soldiers before more families are left grieving and questioning the purpose of this so-called regional solidarity.”

@Sonndi_M asked:

“But why are our soldiers fighting this war that has nothing directly to do with us? You can explain as much as you can, I will never understand 😢 #BringBackOurSANDF.”

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@KeshanNaidoo3 stated:

“We don’t even have a border, but our military is busy fighting in the DRC 🤔.”

Mhla Cyril Hlangu questioned:

“Why is South Africa threatened by one tyrant, 3000 miles away, but not threatened by 3000 tyrants around our borders, one mile away?”

Soldier killed in incident involving hand grenade

In a related article, a SANDF soldier was killed due to a hand grenade explosion in Eastern DRC.

Briefly News reported that SANDF and United Nations officials were investigating the incident.

The incident happened on 9 July 2024 during peacekeeping efforts in the troubled area.

Source: Briefly News