South African soldier killed, 13 wounded fighting DR Congo rebels
South Africa National Defence Forces (SANDF) on a peace mission. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- South African troops have been deployed in the DRC as part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) force helping the government put down a rebellion.
Johannesburg. One South African soldier was killed and 13 more wounded in a battle with M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the army said Friday.
South African troops have been deployed in the DRC as part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) force helping the government put down a rebellion.
There have been several clashes between the force and the M23, the latest on Thursday at Sake, a town 25 kilometres (14 miles) west of Goma in restive North Kivu.
According to a statement from South African Defence Headquarters, a "battle ensued between M23 and our forces" in which "13 members were injured and one was fatally wounded".
"All the injured members were evacuated to Goma Hospital and are recuperating. Meanwhile two armoured personnel carriers were damaged during the engagement," it said.
The March 23 Movement resumed its armed campaign in eastern DRC at the end of 2021, seizing swathes of territory in war-torn but mineral-rich North Kivu province.
The Congolese army has tried to repel the rebel group, which has almost entirely encircled Goma, the provincial capital, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought shelter.
