There are growing calls for the South African government to reevaluate the involvement of SANDF troops in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peacekeeping mission.
Civic groups and political parties have also criticised government’s response to the heightened hostilities in the DRC, after nine soldiers were killed while others sustained injuries, following last week’s attack by the M23 rebels.
Through a statement, the Joint Standing Committee on Defence has called for an urgent meeting on the overall status of the deployment.
“It is important that we get a full briefing from the Minister, the Acting Secretary of Defence, and the Chief of the SANDF.
Not only on the incident but also on the status of the mission and the availability of adequate equipment for SANDF members deployed in DRC and any mission,” said the Co-Chairperson of the Committee, Phiroane Phala.
During a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Sunday, the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN Ambassador Mathu Joyini, called for urgent intervention from all stakeholders.
“The international community can no longer afford to simply watch as conflict in the eastern DRC continues to displace and kill innocent civilians.
We cannot accept a world where-in non-state actors are armed to do the will of other states.
The current situation in the eastern DRC requires decisive action from the international community led by this council,” remarked Joyini.
Meanwhile, the South African National Defence Union (SANDU) want President Cyril Ramaphosa who has remained mum since the incident, to provide the nation with a clear and transparent report on the extent of dangerous conditions the country’s troops are encountered with in the DRC.
The escalation of tension coincides with Minister Angie Motshekga’s oversight visit, where she sought to assess the well-being of soldiers deployed and strengthen bilateral relations between South Africa and the DRC, in line with Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation.
According to Motshekga’s Ministry, the process of notifying families of the fallen heroes about their untimely deaths is underway and will be followed by the repatriation of their remains.
