Bodies of 14 South African Soldiers Killed in DRC Repatriated Through Rwanda

The bodies of 14 South African soldiers who died in battle against M23 rebels on Friday, February 7, were repatriated from Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to their home country via Rwanda. The remains were transported through the main Rwanda-DRC border crossing, La Corniche, around noon on Friday in a truck belonging to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). The fallen soldiers were part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), supporting a Congolese army coalition that included the genocidal militia FDLR, European merc

The bodies of 14 South African soldiers who died in battle against M23 rebels on Friday, February 7, were repatriated from Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to their home country via Rwanda. The remains were transported through the main Rwanda-DRC border crossing, La Corniche, around noon on Friday in a truck belonging to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). The fallen soldiers were part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), supporting a Congolese army coalition that included the genocidal militia FDLR, European mercenaries, and Burundian troops in the battle against AFC/M23 rebels. After entering Rwanda, the convoy continued to the Cyanika border post before proceeding to Kampala, Uganda. The bodies will later be flown to South Africa via Entebbe International Airport. Additionally, the remains of four other soldiers—two from Malawi and two from Tanzania—were repatriated from Goma on Friday. ALSO READ: Malawi’s Troops to Begin Withdrawal from Eastern DRC The deployment of South African soldiers to the DRC has sparked controversy within the country. On Tuesday, members of the South African Parliament rejected Defense Minister Angelina Matsie Motshekga’s explanation that the troops were sent to restore peace in eastern DRC. MPs disputed this claim, arguing that the true nature of the mission remained unclear, with some demanding an immediate withdrawal of the forces.