2 South African soldiers killed in Congo, army says

By Hassan Isilow

Two South African National Defense Force (SANDF) soldiers deployed on a peace keeping mission in the strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were killed and three others injured, the army said on Thursday.

Spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said the soldiers were killed on Wednesday when a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African contingent’s military bases.

Dlamini said the contingent attacked is part of the SADC Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC), which was deployed to support and assist the government of DRC in its efforts to bring peace, security and stability in its restive eastern region. The presidency announced this week the deployment of 2,900 soldiers to the region.

The move came as clashes between M23 rebels and the Congolese army continue in North Kivu province.

Last month, the Congolese military announced the start of a joint offensive with troops from the SADC region, with a mandate mainly targeting the M23 rebels.

The deployment coincided with the phased withdrawal of UN peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUSCO), expected to withdraw by the end of December.

The 16-member state SADC approved the mission to eastern DR Congo in May last year.

The South African troops are deployed until this December, with a budget of around 2 billion rand ($105.6 million).​​​​​​​