The South African National Defence Force has confirmed that the first group of the country’s soldiers who were deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will arrive back in the country on Friday.
The SANDF said the soldiers will arrive at Air Force Base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein around midday on Friday. This follows the phased withdrawal process of the Southern African Development Community Mission (SAMIDRC) soldiers which was initiated in April this year. “The troops will be welcomed by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, accompanied by the members of the Military Command Council.
The Minister will address members of the media after she has received and welcomed the troops,” read a statement from the SANDF.The SANDF had recently given itself until the end of May 2025 to conclude the process of bringing back the soldiers by means of air and land transportation. The soldiers were withdrawn and transported from DRC via road to Tanzania, to wait for the arrival of the remaining colleagues.
According to the SANDF, psychosocial support will be given to the soldiers when they return home and appealed to the media to afford them privacy and time to settle.Earlier this year, 14 SANDF members were killed during clashes with the M23 rebels in the eastern DRC.
