South African Soldiers Return Home from DRC Deployment After Deadly Clashes

The first group of the South African soldiers that were deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to come back to South Africa today. On Wednesday, 11 June, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) had confirmed the return.

According to the statement released by the SANDF, the soldiers are set to arrive at Air Force Base Bloemspriut in Bloemfontein around midday. These troops will be welcomed back home by the minister of defence and military veterans, Angie Motshekga and members of the military command council.

Their return home comes after these soldiers were deployed in eastern DRC in an attempt to restore peace between the DRC and Rwanda. The ceasefire was related to peacekeeping efforts by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the United Nations in the eastern DRC, where forces were clashing with the M23 rebel group near Goma.

In May, South Africa announced it would withdraw its soldiers from the DRC following the deaths of 14 troops in a clash with M23 rebels in February 2025.

Meanwhile, SANDF Rear Admiral Prince Tshabalala has confirmed that the SANDF is tracking the flight carrying the first group of soldiers returning to the country who will depart from Tanzania. According to Tshabalala, approximately 250 soldiers are expected to return, and this operation will continue until the last group arrives by the end of the month.

He says after all the soldiers return, they will undergo a standard demobilisation process, which includes medical support and psychological evaluations. This procedure is routine for all troops returning from deployment.

Nonetheless, defence and military veteran’s deputy minister Bantu Holomisa stated that the military board of inquiry into the SANDF casualties in the DRC will be conducted after the withdrawal of the soldiers from the operation is completed. This was after DA MP Chris Hattingh asked Holomisa in the National Assembly about the steps taken to launch a military or judicial inquiry into the SANDF casualties in the DRC.