South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Bantu Holomisa, has announced plans to establish a military investigation commission to look into the deaths of South African soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Holomisa made the announcement last week while addressing members of the Parliament.
South Africa is part of the SADC coalition that deployed troops to Eastern Congo to assist the Congolese government in its fight against the M23 rebel group.
In January this year, these forces suffered a major setback when M23 took control of Goma city, and 14 South African soldiers were officially reported dead in the clashes.
However, some reports suggest that the actual death toll may be much higher, possibly over 50 soldiers, due to missing bodies that have not been recovered from the battle zones.
Some soldiers were shot in contested areas where it became impossible for their comrades to retrieve their remains.
Earlier this month, SADC began withdrawing its troops from the DRC through Rwanda, after regional leaders announced the dissolution of the SAMIDRC mission, which had been deployed in the conflict zone.
Deputy Minister Holomisa told lawmakers that the investigation will commence once all troops have returned home.
He stated:
“After the withdrawal, the Ministry in collaboration with the head of the SANDF (South African National Defence Force) will provide a roadmap detailing how the commission will be established and operate.”
He added:
“It is Parliament that demanded a thorough and transparent investigation, and we are committed to fulfilling that request.”
Holomisa also emphasized that the loss of soldiers in the DRC does not mean the mission was a failure, arguing that success or failure cannot be judged solely on casualty numbers.
He concluded that a comprehensive report involving SADC, the United Nations, SANDF, and the DRC government will reveal the full truth of what transpired.
