Pretoria, South Africa – Multiple charter flights have been repatriating South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops and equipment from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the termination of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission there.
After the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) was officially terminated in mid-March, most troops were flown back to South Africa in June aboard chartered Air Tanzania aircraft. Heavy equipment was initially sent to a staging ground in Tanzania and was planned to return via sea.
In response to a parliamentary question in July, Defence Minister Angie Motshekga said, “Prime mission equipment used in the SAMIDRC deployment will be transported back to South Africa by SADC-contracted commercial cargo vessels from Dar Es Salaam to the port of Durban.”
However, repatriation operations are continuing on multiple fronts. Defence analyst Dean Wingrin told reporters on Wednesday, “The repatriation of non-MONUSCO SANDF troops and equipment from Kinshasa and Lubumbashi continues. A Boeing 737 for troops and an Il-76 for cargo is being used and will continue for quite a few days to come.”
Among the equipment being returned are SANDF’s Oryx helicopters. “Three Oryx helicopters will be flown back to South Africa, whilst two others will be airlifted,” Wingrin added. African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier clarified, “Even the Oryx stuck in rebel-controlled Goma will be returning to South Africa.”
Last month, media reports suggested that the five Oryx helicopters in the DRC were likely to remain permanently stranded. Four were in Lubumbashi, and one remained at Goma airport under M23 rebel control after being hit by rebel fire last year.
Olivier confirmed that three of the four Oryx at Lubumbashi were serviceable and that ground crews were preparing the fourth ahead of its return. “The United Nations is meant to repatriate the one at Goma. UN forces and a team of SAAF technicians are protecting it,” he said.
Reports indicate that approximately 375 SANDF soldiers remained deployed in Lubumbashi, with another 350 stationed in Kinshasa to facilitate the withdrawal of SAMIDRC-contributed equipment. Analysts believe these troops and their equipment are part of the current withdrawal.
Flight tracking data over the past few days has shown numerous chartered aircraft moving between Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, and Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria using South African Air Force call signs.
This includes a Cobra Aviation Boeing 737 and a Fly Sky Airlines Il-76TD transport, both of which were tracked arriving in South Africa on Wednesday from the DRC. The Il-76TD departed Waterkloof for Lubumbashi again on Thursday, signalling ongoing operations.
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Compiled by Anda Tolibadi
