249 troops from DRC start healing in Bloemfontein after deadly mission

SANDF

Cape Town – The first group of 249 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been taken to Bloemfontein, Free State, for psychological counselling, a report says. 

These soldiers were part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission in eastern DRC.

Following the deaths of 14 SANDF members earlier this year in clashes with M23 rebels, a joint SADC and East African Community summit decided to withdraw troops to allow peace talks. 

According to SABC News, SANDF Chief of Operations, Lieutenant General Siphiwe Sangweni, said the soldiers are happy to be home.

“Our soldiers will undergo psycho-social attention by professionals of psychologists, social workers, spiritual work group of Chaplains and also other activities over a period of three days and when they finished that first grouping will be taken by buses to their units where they are working,” the report quoted Sangweni as saying.

Defence Minister Angie Motshekga said their return was delayed due to technical and logistical issues.

She expressed disappointment and concern over the delay, which followed SANDF’s announcement of a phased troop withdrawal beginning in May after 14 soldiers died in clashes with the M23 rebel group.

“The indication is the arrival has been delayed due to technical and logistical challenges with the contracted airline… We have been assured that they are on board and will definitely arrive any time today [Friday] or tomorrow [Saturday] by the earliest,” Motshekga told the media earlier.

The minister added: “They initially started off the logistics with Tanzanian Airways but now they have moved to Kenyan Airways. Our officers in Tanzania said our soldiers are on board…

“So what we are expecting now is the arrival, which we don’t want to commit — but we are happy that they are on board. They can arrive any time, five hours from here, but they have not left when we last spoke to them.”

The soldiers were part of the SADC Mission in the DRC and had flown in from Tanzania.

The SANDF aims to complete the troop and equipment withdrawal by the end of June.

Lieutenant General Siphiwe Sangweni said larger aircraft would now be used instead of multiple smaller flights.

Both Motshekga and Sangweni stressed the need for better funding and modernised equipment to improve peacekeeping operations.

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