Ramaphosa Officiates Hand Over of Remains of 14 SANDF Soldiers Killed in DRC: “You’ve Come To Rest”
- President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over the remains of the 14 SANDF soldiers who died in Goma, eastern DRC, to their families
- After delays in the repatriation, the troops' remains arrived in South Africa on Thursday, 13 February, with a transfer ceremony
- During an address at Swartkop Air Force Base, Ramaphosa noted calling for an immediate ceasefire for the conflict in DRC
Source: Getty Images
Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist at Briefly News. A Head of Current Affairs, Mametela reported live from the presidential inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents and other topics, including sports, at The Herald and Opera News SA, among others.
TSHWANE — President Cyril Ramaphosa, a mere few hours after replying to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate in Cape Town, arrived in Centurion to officiate the handover of the remains of his soldiers.
The bodies of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid armed conflict, were returned to South Africa on Thursday, 13 February 2025.
14 Fallen SANDF soldiers arrive in SA
Briefly News reported that the troops died as the fighting escalated between the Congolese armed forces and the March 23 Movement (M23).
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The 14 were killed by advancing M23 rebels advancing on Sake and Goma between 23 to 27 January 2025.
The soldiers were deployed as part of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission under the United Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).
Since 27 January, families waited anxiously for the arrival of the mortal remains of their loved ones amid a repatriation process marred by delays, which included the finalisation of medical processing in neighbouring Uganda.
A memorial service, initially set for Thursday morning and then rescheduled for 7pm at Swartkop Air Force Base, got underway an hour late.
Addressing the gathering following the transfer ceremony, Ramaphosa extended the government's and South Africa's condolences to Tanzanian and Malawian families whose loved ones had also fallen.
Source: Getty Images
"Our nation is in mourning for the brave souls lost defending our brothers and sisters. I offer my profound and deepest sympathies to the families of our fallen soldiers on behalf of South Africa," said Ramaphosa.
"They died in the name of duty, pursuing peace and in the cause of silencing the guns across our beloved continent Africa.
"They lost their lives in defence of the defenceless ... we've fulfilled our duty to bring them home [and] must [now] complete their mission."
Ramaphosa said he was encouraged by the Joint Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)-East Africa Community (EAC) Heads of State and Government Summit on the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), held in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on 8 February.
Watch a video of Ramaphosa, posted to the president's official X account, speaking to reporters at the memorial.
The Summit resolved to prioritise a political solution to the crisis in the eastern DRC. Speaking on this, Ramaphosa noted that South Africa had reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and a cessation of hostilities while warring sides should hold inclusive negotiations.
"As Africans, we are one people. When one part of Africa bleeds, we feel its pain. The Congolese people cry out for an end to war. [Therefore], our gallant soldiers answered that call."
He paid tribute to the fallen soldiers and honoured their memory, saying:
"Thank you for your sacrifice that others may be free. You died on the battlefield, far from those you held dear. But you're home now; you've come to rest. [And] we receive you with open arms."
Security company ready to take Goma stand
In a related story, Briefly News reported that a locally-based private security company is ready to prove its mettle in armed conflict.
Its target: help the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to settle the battle against the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
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Source: Briefly News
