Political parties are calling on the commander in chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) President Cyril Ramaphosa to withdraw the members deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The calls come as nine SANDF soldiers were killedduring a fierce two-day clash with the M23 rebels in eastern DRC.
SHOULD RAMAPHOSA WITHDRAW SANDF MEMBERS IN DRC?
On Saturday, SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said after two days of fierce fighting with the M23 rebel group in eastern DRC, South African soldiers and their counterparts were able to halt the advancement of the rebel group towards Goma, the provincial capital of the eastern DRC.
Dlamini said the M23 group had launched a full-scale attack on SANDF soldiers to take over Goma but could not advance due to the heroic resistance the defence force members put up.
Unfortunately, in the course of this clash, nine SANDF members were confirmed dead by Friday, 24 January.
“Seven of these members were part of the South African deployment in eastern DRC in December 2023 as part of the 16-member regional bloc SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC). Two members were from the MONUSCO.
“The number of injured members is still to be confirmed. However, a few suffered various degrees of injuries. The process of informing families of the deceased members is underway,” Dlamini said.
Following the incident, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) reiterated its warning that SANDF troops deployed in the DRC are under-resourced and ill-prepared to face the dangers posed by the well-equipped M23 rebels.
“In fact, it is reported that our soldiers had no supplies nor ammunition as of Friday, a glaring case of neglect on the part of government. These deployments appear to serve the interests of multinational corporations exploiting the DRC’s mineral wealth, rather than prioritising peace or South Africa’s sovereignty,” the party said.
The Red Berets also called on the deployment of South African soldiers to the DRC to be withdrawn with immediate effect.
“We further call for an emergency joint sitting of Parliament to hold President Ramaphosa accountable and to urgently present the withdrawal plan for our soldiers to return home safely. Lasting peace in the region can only be achieved by addressing the root causes of the conflict and resultant exploitation of the DRC,” the EFF said.
Similarly, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) Party said the situation in DRC has deteriorated far beyond the initial peace keeping mission for which SA troops were deployed.
The party’s spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said what began as a noble attempt to stabilise the region and protect civilians has now escalated into a full-blown civil war, with competing factions plunging the nation further into chaos.
“South Africa must not be part of the conflict. We cannot, in good conscience, continue to expose our soldiers to an increasingly volatile and unwinnable military confrontation. Even worse, our soldiers are not even fully equipped with the necessary hardware to be combat-ready,” Ndhlela said.
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