South Africa withdraws troops from DRC as first 249 soldiers return home
South Africa has officially begun withdrawing its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the first group of soldiers having arrived in Pretoria last Friday night.
South Africa has started withdrawing its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The withdrawal is part of the SADC's decision to end its mission in eastern DRC.
The mission, SAMIDRC, supported efforts against armed groups in the region since December 2023.
According to a Sputnik Afrique report, a total of 249 soldiers were welcomed by South Africa's Defence Minister, Angie Motshekga, who praised them for their ' unwavering patriotism" in the DRC, one of the continent's most volatile conflict zone.
In a statement to journalists, Motshekga said, ' They served our country and our continent with courage and distinction under difficult conditions.'
'We are working around the clock with our partners in the region to ensure that our equipment is safely returned. We shall not leave even a pin behind. ' She added, reflecting a statement made by the country's Chief General, Rudzani Maphwanya.
The withdrawal follows the Southern African Development Community (SADC) announcement in March to end its mission in eastern DRC, after the deaths of 17 soldiers in the region, including troops from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania.
The reported deaths sparked renewed calls by concerned relatives for South Africa's military disengagement from the conflict.
The mission, known as SAMIDRC, had been deployed in December 2023, to support Congolese forces in pushing back against armed groups destabilizing the mineral-rich North and South Kivu provinces, which border Rwanda and have been plagued by years of violence.
The origin of external military operations in the region stems from the violence and humanitarian crises triggered by the M23 rebel group, which is believed to be backed by Rwanda and controls large swathes of territory.
SA debunks retreat, casualty count rises
Reports indicate that at least 14 South African soldiers under the SADC mission were killed in the line of duty in January, including two serving with the United Nations peacekeeping force. Troops from Malawi and Tanzania have also suffered losses.
South Africa's Defence Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya stressed in May that the withdrawal was not a retreat, but rather a 'technical move that allows peace and mediation to continue.'
SADC' s decision to withdraw marks a turning point for the region, shifting focus from direct military involvement to supporting long-term peacebuilding and diplomatic engagement in the DRC.
While South Africa has not confirmed when the remaining troops will return, defence officials say the process will be carried out in stages, in coordination with SADC member states and Congolese authorities.
The situation in eastern Congo remains volatile, with millions of civilians displaced.
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A Congolese customs official who resisted corruption is beatified by the Vatican
Faithful wore T-shirts and vests with Kositi's portrait and erupted in chants and applause as soon as the beatification ceremony was concluded, waving Congolese flags. Advertisement Kositi was kidnapped and killed in 2007 after he refused to allow rancid rice from Rwanda to be transported across the border to the eastern Congo city of Goma. As an official with the Congolese government's custom's quality control office, the 26-year-old knew the risks of resisting bribes offered to public officials. But he also knew the risks of allowing spoiled food to be distributed to the most desperate. 'On that day, those mafiosi found themselves in front of a young man who, in the name of the Gospel, said 'No.' He opposed,' his friend Aline Minani said. 'And Floribèrt, I think that for me personally, I would say for all young people, is a role model.' Advertisement 'Our country almost holds the gold medal for corruption among the countries of the world,' Goma Bishop Willy Ngumbi told reporters last week. 'Here, corruption is truly endemic. So, if we could at least learn from this boy's life that we must all fight corruption … I think that would be very important.' Transparency International last year gave Congo one of the poorest marks on its corruption perception index, ranking it 163 out of 180 countries surveyed and 20 on the organization's 0-100 scale, with 0 highly corrupt and 100 very clean. The beatification has brought joy to Goma at a time of anguish. It has renewed the hopes of many in the country of more than 100 million people whose development has been stifled by chronic corruption, which Francis railed about during his Speaking at the Kinshasa stadium then, Francis said Kositi 'could easily have turned a blind eye; nobody would have found out, and he might even have gotten ahead as a result. But since he was a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and he chose to be honest, saying no to the filth of corruption.' Advertisement The Italian priest who spearheaded Kositi's sainthood case, the Rev. Francesco Tedeschi, knew him through their work with the Saint'Egidio Community. He broke down Saturday as he recounted Kositi's example and Francis' call for the church to recognize the ordinary holiness in the 'saints next door.' 'In the end, this was what Floribert was, because he was just a boy,' Tedeschi said as he began weeping. On Sunday, worshippers gathered at the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Goma to follow Kositi's beatification ceremony live. Outside of the cathedral, some bought photos and cloth featuring his portrait. Olive Njemba, a 65-year-old mother who was close to Kositi's family, was one of them. 'Those who killed him thought that it was the end of his life, but Almighty God raised him up, and that is our joy,' Njemba said while wearing the commemorative cloth she just bought. 'For us mothers, we have great joy in buying this to celebrate our child who is now blessed.' Inside the church, Abbé Célestin Kanyabiriri, head of the pastoral commission, made a brief speech ahead of the ceremony. 'This event is not only for Catholics — he is a model for all of us,' Kanyabiriri said. 'The fact that he was chosen from our diocese, for me, is a sign that the Lord is inviting us to be apostles of honesty, apostles of moral integrity ... in order to fight against corruption — a cancer that has plagued our country from independence to today, especially starting from the very top of power,' he added. At Goma's Floribert Bwana Chui School of Peace, which is named in honor of Kositi and advocates for social justice, his beatification is encouraging everyone who sees him as a role model, school director Charles Kalimba told the Associated Press. Advertisement 'It's a lesson for every generation, for the next generation, for the present generation and for all people. Floribert's life is a positive point that must be presented to the Congolese nation. We are in a country where corruption is almost allowed, and this is a challenge that must be taken up,' Kalimba said. Tedeschi said the martyr designation recognized Kositi died out of hatred for the faith, because his decision to not accept the spoiled food was inspired by the Christian idea of the dignity of everyone, especially the poor. Being declared a martyr exempts Kositi from the requirement that a miracle must be attributed to his intercession before he is beatified, thereby fast-tracking the process to get to the first step of sainthood. The Vatican must, however, confirm a miracle attributed to his intercession for him to be canonized, a process that can take years or more.
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South Africa withdraws troops from DRC as first 249 soldiers return home
South Africa has officially begun withdrawing its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the first group of soldiers having arrived in Pretoria last Friday night. South Africa has started withdrawing its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The withdrawal is part of the SADC's decision to end its mission in eastern DRC. The mission, SAMIDRC, supported efforts against armed groups in the region since December 2023. According to a Sputnik Afrique report, a total of 249 soldiers were welcomed by South Africa's Defence Minister, Angie Motshekga, who praised them for their ' unwavering patriotism" in the DRC, one of the continent's most volatile conflict zone. In a statement to journalists, Motshekga said, ' They served our country and our continent with courage and distinction under difficult conditions.' 'We are working around the clock with our partners in the region to ensure that our equipment is safely returned. We shall not leave even a pin behind. ' She added, reflecting a statement made by the country's Chief General, Rudzani Maphwanya. The withdrawal follows the Southern African Development Community (SADC) announcement in March to end its mission in eastern DRC, after the deaths of 17 soldiers in the region, including troops from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania. The reported deaths sparked renewed calls by concerned relatives for South Africa's military disengagement from the conflict. The mission, known as SAMIDRC, had been deployed in December 2023, to support Congolese forces in pushing back against armed groups destabilizing the mineral-rich North and South Kivu provinces, which border Rwanda and have been plagued by years of violence. The origin of external military operations in the region stems from the violence and humanitarian crises triggered by the M23 rebel group, which is believed to be backed by Rwanda and controls large swathes of territory. SA debunks retreat, casualty count rises Reports indicate that at least 14 South African soldiers under the SADC mission were killed in the line of duty in January, including two serving with the United Nations peacekeeping force. Troops from Malawi and Tanzania have also suffered losses. South Africa's Defence Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya stressed in May that the withdrawal was not a retreat, but rather a 'technical move that allows peace and mediation to continue.' SADC' s decision to withdraw marks a turning point for the region, shifting focus from direct military involvement to supporting long-term peacebuilding and diplomatic engagement in the DRC. While South Africa has not confirmed when the remaining troops will return, defence officials say the process will be carried out in stages, in coordination with SADC member states and Congolese authorities. The situation in eastern Congo remains volatile, with millions of civilians displaced.
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A Congolese customs worker who resisted corruption is the Catholic Church's newest model of holiness
ROME -- The Vatican on Sunday is beatifying a Congolese customs worker who was killed for resisting a bribe, giving young people in a place with endemic corruption a new model of holiness: Someone who refused to allow spoiled rice to be distributed to poor people. The head of the Vatican's saint-making office, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, is presiding over the beatification ceremony Sunday at one of the pontifical basilicas in Rome, St. Paul Outside the Walls. The event is drawing Congolese pilgrims and much of Rome's Congolese Catholic community, who will be treated to a special audience Monday with Pope Leo XIV. Floribèrt Bwana Chui Bin Kositi was kidnapped and killed in 2007 after he refused to allow rancid rice from Rwanda to be transported across the border to the eastern Congo city of Goma. As an official with the Congolese government's custom's quality control office, the 26-year-old knew the risks of resisting bribes offered to public officials. But he also knew the risks of allowing spoiled food to be distributed to the most desperate. 'On that day, those mafiosi found themselves in front of a young man who, in the name of the Gospel, said 'No.' He opposed,' his friend Aline Manani said. "And Floribèrt, I think that for me personally, I would say for all young people, is a role model.' Pope Francis recognized Kositi as a martyr of the faith late last year, setting him on the path to beatification and to possibly become Congo's first saint. The move fit into the pope's broader understanding of martyr as a social justice concept, allowing those deemed to have been killed for doing God's work and following the Gospel to be considered for sainthood. 'Our country almost holds the gold medal for corruption among the countries of the world," Goma Bishop Willy Ngumbi told reporters last week. "Here, corruption is truly endemic. So, if we could at least learn from this boy's life that we must all fight corruption … I think that would be very important.' Transparency International last year gave Congo one of the poorest marks on its corruption perception index, ranking it 163 out of 180 countries surveyed and 20 on the organization's 0-100 scale, with 0 highly corrupt and 100 very clean. The beatification has brought joy to Goma at a time of anguish. Violent fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has led to the death of thousands of people and the rebels' capture of the city has exacerbated what already was one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises. It has renewed the hopes of many in the country of more than 100 million people whose development has been stifled by chronic corruption, which Francis railed about during his 2023 visit to the country. Speaking at the Kinshasa stadium then, Francis said Kositi 'could easily have turned a blind eye; nobody would have found out, and he might even have gotten ahead as a result. But since he was a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and he chose to be honest, saying no to the filth of corruption.' The Italian priest who spearheaded Kositi's sainthood case, the Rev. Francesco Tedeschi, knew him through their work with the Saint'Egidio Community. He broke down Saturday as he recounted Kositi's example and Francis' call for the church to recognize the ordinary holiness in the 'saints next door.' 'In the end, this was what Floribert was, because he was just a boy,' Tedeschi said as he began weeping. At Goma's Floribert Bwana Chui School of Peace, which is named in honor of Kositi and advocates for social justice, his beatification is encouraging everyone who sees him as a role model, school director Charles Kalimba told The Associated Press. 'It's a lesson for every generation, for the next generation, for the present generation and for all people. Floribert's life is a positive point that must be presented to the Congolese nation. We are in a country where corruption is almost allowed, and this is a challenge that must be taken up,' Kalimba said. Rev. Tedeschi said the martyr designation recognized Kositi died out of hatred for the faith, because his decision to not accept the spoiled food was inspired by the Christian idea of the dignity of everyone, especially the poor. Being declared a martyr exempts Kositi from the requirement that a miracle must be attributed to his intercession before he is beatified, thereby fast-tracking the process to get to the first step of sainthood. The Vatican must, however, confirm a miracle attributed to his intercession for him to be canonized, a process that can take years or more. ___
