Information
South Africa’s efforts to promote peace and security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have encountered a tragic beginning. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) reported on Thursday that two of its soldiers lost their lives in a mortar strike near the city of Goma. Additionally, three soldiers sustained injuries during the attack, which occurred on Wednesday. According to the SANDF, a mortar landed inside one of their military bases, causing casualties and injuries. The wounded soldiers were promptly transported to the nearest hospital in Goma. The SANDF acknowledged that details about the incident are limited and emphasized that a thorough investigation will be conducted to ascertain the events.
These casualties mark the first fatalities within the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SMIDRC). South Africa had deployed 2,900 forces to aid Kinshasa in restoring peace, stability, and security to the region. The DRC has been grappling with the challenge of containing various armed militias, particularly the M23 rebel group, mainly consisting of Tutsi fighters, which has seized significant portions of North Kivu since resurfacing in 2022. This resurgence has led to a mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Recent intensified fighting in the vicinity of the strategic town of Sake, approximately 20 kilometers from Goma, has added to the complexities of the situation.
Source: AFP, Reuters
Assessment
The security situation in Africa is anything but stable. While the majority of incidents go unreported due to more significant conflicts across the globe, countries such as South Africa and France have been trying to improve the situation with little success. This incident just highlights the difficult task they are facing in a very tough region.
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