South Africa: According to the South African government, two of its soldiers have been killed in a mortar attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They stated that, this incident marked the first fatality since the deployment of troops in the country.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has stated that, “As a result of this indirect fire, the SANDF suffered two fatalities and three members sustained injuries. The injured were taken to the nearest hospital in Goma for medical attention.”
The soldiers were deployed to the DRC as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), task to fight armed insurgent groups in the eastern province. South Africa reported that it would send a new contingent of 2,900 combatants to the eastern region of Congo. It is unclear whether the casualties are part of that new deployment.
SANDF representative Siphiwe Dlamini has said that the attack took place in North Kivu province and the injured have been admitted to a hospital in the regional capital, Goma. Violence has been on the rise in the conflict-hit region in recent weeks, with several attacks targeting the M23 rebel group, which has been battling Congolese troops in the region for years.
Kinshasa says M23, one of more than 120 armed groups in the region, receives military support from neighbouring Rwanda. The allegation was denied by Rwanda, but United Nations and European Union experts say there is evidence to support it.
But M23 has indicated in recent statements that it is on the offensive in eastern Congo, leading to fears that the group may again target Goma, which it once captured 10 years ago. Aid groups say more than a million people have been displaced by the conflict since November. This adds to the 6.9 million people already displaced in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The Norwegian Refugee Council has commented that the recent advance of armed groups toward the key town of Sake, near Goma, “poses an imminent threat to the entire aid system” in eastern Congo.
NRC has quoted that, “The isolation of Goma, home to over 2 million people and hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals who have fled clashes with armed groups, would bring disastrous consequences to the region.”
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