Latest news with #SouthernAfricanDevelopmentCommunityMission
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Here's when the next group of SANDF troops may return to SA
On Friday, 249 troops touched down at the Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria. Another group of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members previously deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are reportedly expected to arrive in the country on Sunday. The officers were in the DRC as part of the Southern African Development Community Mission. They were on the frontline of a conflict between the Congolese army and M23 rebel fighters, which raged for three years in the East of that country until a ceasefire was called in April. On Friday, 249 troops touched down at the Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria. They have been transported to Bloemfontein to be debriefed, demobilised, assessed, receive counselling, and be reunited with their families. WATCH: The 249 troops arrive in SA WATCH || The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans is the Air Force base Waterkloof to welcome the first batch of Soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo.#SANDF #MODMV #JointoperationsDivision #SAMIDRC #DRC — SA National Defence Force 🇿🇦 (@SANDF_ZA) June 13, 2025 SANDF chief of joint operations Siphiwe Sangweni said flights carrying troops will land in SA over the next few weeks. 'With bigger aircrafts, it will now be nine trips bringing our soldiers back to South Africa. The frequency of those aircraft moving will be almost every second day.' According to the SABC News, the next plane will arrive on Sunday. Around 2 000 troops from SA, Malawi, and Tanzania are reportedly still in the DRC. It is hoped that all SA military officials deployed to the region and their equipment will be back in SA by the end of June. 'We are fully aware that half the work is done in terms of prime mission equipment. Hence, we are working around the clock with our counterparts in the region to ensure that the process runs expeditiously with minimal logistical risks,' the minister said. Mission a success, says SANDF Last month, South African National Defence Force (SANDF) head, General Rudzani Maphwanya and defence minister Angie Motshekga called the mission a success and said it had contributed to peace in the area. The DA slammed this, calling the deployment a 'national tragedy'. 'The death of 14 South African soldiers and a further 174 injured in battle – brave men and women sent into an unstable conflict zone without air support, adequate equipment, or a coherent operational mandate – is not a success story. It is a national tragedy. 'Their blood is on Minister Motshekga's hands. Whilst the returning troops make their way back to South Africa, the minister continues to spin political fairy tales instead of reckoning with the facts.' It claimed that SA troops were paid less than a quarter of the stipend they were allegedly allocated, while Tanzanian and Malawian troops on the same mission 'earned nearly double'. ALSO READ: What is taking so long? Why SANDF troops can't get a lift home Minister a no-show to Parliament – twice No reason for the discrepancy had been given, but it was among the issues likely to come up when the minister appeared before Parliament on 9 May. But the minister did not show up. Instead, she was in Russia, on instruction from the ANC, to attend World War II Victory Day celebrations. While Parliamentarians raged, committee chairperson and ANC member Malusi Gigaba defended the minister. Motshekga failed to pitch to committee meetings again a week later. Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale and Chulumanco Mahamba NOW READ: 'A nation that values its military doesn't treat its soldiers as disposable'
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Group of SANDF troops due to arrive home from DRC
The first group of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) troops deployed to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as part of the Southern African Development Community Mission there are expected to return on Friday. They are arriving at air force base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein at about midday and will be welcomed by minister of defence and military veterans Angie Motshega, accompanied by members of the military command council. The mission was sent to assist Kinshasa's fight against rebel groups in the DRC's war-ravaged eastern borderlands in December 2023. The 16-member Southern African Development Community (Sadc) said in mid-March it had terminated the mandate and would begin a phased withdrawal of its force from the DRC. According to the SANDF, the withdrawal was informed by the directive issued by the Sadc extraordinary summit of heads of state and government meeting held virtually on March 13. The bodies of 14 SANDF troops killed when M23 rebels captured the key city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, were returned to SA in February. Earlier this year scores of SANDF soldiers were wounded in clashes between M23 rebel forces and DRC government troops. About 200 soldiers returned in February from the DRC.
eNCA
04-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Supra Mahumapelo speaks on SA soldiers' return from Goma
JOHANNESBURG - South African National Defence Force troops have returned home. This after completing their deployment under the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mission was launched in December 2023 to support efforts to stabilise the region amid conflict with the M23 armed group. Supra Mahumapelo, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, stated that they are pleased that there is agreement regarding the post-withdrawal procedure.
IOL News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
SANDF troops prepare for withdrawal from the DRC following peace agreement
SADC mission in the DRC: South Africa's role and ongoing SADC troop withdrawal South African military contingents are preparing to withdraw from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after a landmark peace agreement was signed between the DRC and Rwanda. As the lead nation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission in the DRC, South Africa has played a crucial role in efforts to restore peace amid persistent conflict. Since 2022, South Africa has spearheaded the SADC peacekeeping mission, the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) The mission's primary objective has been to support the Congolese government in stabilising eastern provinces battered by rebel groups and inter-ethnic tensions. The operation has involved thousands of troops from member states working alongside Congolese forces to monitor ceasefires, facilitate dialogue, and deliver humanitarian aid. Despite these efforts, the mission has faced numerous challenges, most notably encounters with the M23 rebel group, which has been active in eastern DRC since 2012.
