One South African soldier killed, 13 injured in DRC

One South African soldier was killed and 13 others injured Thursday in fighting against rebels on Thursday in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) said Friday.

The fighting occurred in the town of Sake, located in the eastern province of North Kivu, against the March 23 Movement (M23), the SANDF said in a statement. The injured soldiers have been hospitalized and are in recovery.

Since early 2024, a regional force of SADC, composed essentially of military elements from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, has been deployed in North Kivu, to counter the M23 rebels who have taken control of territories in the province.

On Thursday, violent fighting broke out between the M23 rebels and the DRC military and its allies, including the SADC, near the town of Sake, which is considered the last barrier between the rebels and Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu and a strategic, tourist and commercial city in the region.

Heavy artillery fires were heard throughout the day in the combat zone.

The M23 rebels who occupy areas in Rutshuru territory and the Masisi territory of North Kivu, have also engaged in combats against the DRX military in the town of Kanyabayonga in the Lubero territory, where a mass civilian displacement fleeing the fights has been reported.

Kanyabayonga town, where nearly 35,000 internally displaced persons are currently taking refuge, is also considered a strategic gateway that controls access to the northern part of North Kivu province and as far as the resource-rich and war-torn Ituri province.

The troops are part of a regional force helping DR Congo’s military as it confronts a series of armed groups.

The most prominent group is the M23, which has taken up positions on the major routes leading into Goma, the main city in the east of DR Congo.

Th M23’s advance has resulted in tens of thousands being forced from their homes – adding to the nearly seven million who have fled because of multiple conflicts in the east.

South Africa began deploying troops to eastern DR Congo in December 2023 under the banner of the 16-member regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

They are taking over from the Kenyan-led East African Force (EAF), which left in December – about a year after it was welcomed by President Félix Tshisekedi.

He was re-elected in December for a second term in office – and one of his key campaign promises was to tackle the insecurity that has wracked the east of the country for three decades.

Sadc has acted in the interests of solidarity, as DR Congo is part of the regional grouping..

It previously warned that an attack against one of its members would be met with “immediate collective action”, and its troops would help DR Congo’s military in “fighting” armed groups.

This view is more in tune with Mr Tshisekedi’s – he wants a partner who will tackle the rebels head on.

Mr Tshisekedi booted out the EAF, accusing it of being ineffective and refusing to go on the offensive against the M23.

He has also ordered a UN force, which has been in the country for around 25 years, to leave by the end of 2024 after levelling similar accusations against it.