Fallen SANDF soldiers honoured
BLOEMFONTEIN - SADC will not meet their deadline to withdraw SANDF peacekeepers from the DRC by the end of May.
This is due to logistical delays withdrawing all heavy equipment from their base near Goma.
The Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, honoured the lives of the 14 soldiers lost recently on UN International Peacekeepers Day.
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SANDF troops withdrawal from DRC hits a snag
BLOEMFONTEIN - SADC will not meet their deadline to withdraw SANDF peacekeepers from the DRC by the end of May. This is due to logistical delays withdrawing all heavy equipment from their base near Goma. The SANDF says just over 30 trucks have transported South African Military equipment from Goma to Tanzania. Other heavy equipment will be transported through the Dar es Salaam port to South Africa. The transportation of Tanzanian, South African and Malawian troops will then begin. The Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, honoured the lives of the 14 soldiers lost recently on UN International Peacekeepers Day. South Africa first provided peacekeepers to the DRC in 1999 under the UN MONUSCO mission. And despite the recent losses in fighting near Goma, the defence force says peacekeeping remains part of their mission.
eNCA
4 days ago
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Fallen SANDF soldiers honoured
BLOEMFONTEIN - SADC will not meet their deadline to withdraw SANDF peacekeepers from the DRC by the end of May. This is due to logistical delays withdrawing all heavy equipment from their base near Goma. The Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, honoured the lives of the 14 soldiers lost recently on UN International Peacekeepers Day.
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SANDF says 2nd group of troops still in DRC will return once all combat equipment arrives in Tanzania
JOHANNESBURG - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said the second group of troops still in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will only return home once all combat equipment has arrived at the assembly point in Tanzania. Chief of the SANDF Rudzani Maphwanya revealed this during the observation of annual United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Day at De Brug Military Base in Bloemfontein on Thursday. ALSO READ: - General Maphwanya: SANDF undeterred and committed to ensure peace prevails in Africa - UN Peacekeeping Day: SANDF honours fallen soldiers killed in DRC - SANDF refutes claims of troops returning from DRC surrendering weapons in Rwanda The first group of soldiers was withdrawn from the war-torn country recently, with the SANDF saying it's conducting a phased withdrawal of all troops. General Maphwanya said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has authorised transportation for peacekeepers to return to their respective countries. Earlier in 2025, the SADC gave an official directive to withdraw all SADC troops and equipment. The decision came after a ceasefire was brokered with M23 and the DRC military during a summit in Tanzania in March. Before talks began, South Africa lost 14 soldiers deployed to the volatile region of Goma, north of Kivu. 'We are working around the clock with the SADC Secretariat to ensure that we get all our people and equipment back from the eastern DRC,' said Maphwanya. 'We are at the critical stage of this withdrawal. The contingent's equipment of all the countries that had contributed troops, and equipment is already at above 65% to the assembly area.' He also added that all the soldiers who died serving did not die in vain. COMMITMENT TO DRC PEACEKEEPING MISSION REAFFIRMED Maphwanya has reaffirmed the national force's commitment to support the UN peacekeeping mission in the eastern DRC. Military, police, and civilian peacekeepers who contributed to fostering peace in war-torn zones were honoured during a wreath-laying ceremony. South Africa has been a part of various UN missions for almost three decades, with its largest contribution in the DRC. 'Achieving peace comes at a high price, with casualties and setbacks, yet in honouring those we have lost, we reaffirm our determination to see peace, security, and stability becoming a reality for nations across our continent and the world,' Maphwanya said.
