On Monday, 194 injured military personnel from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) were evacuated from Goma to Rubavu, Rwanda. From there, they were transported to Kigali International Airport for repatriation. These soldiers were hurt in recent confrontations with the M23 rebel group and were evacuated for specialized medical treatment in their home countries.
The group of evacuees consisted of 129 soldiers from the Republic of South Africa Battalion, 40 from the Malawi Battalion, and 25 from the Tanzania Battalion. They arrived at the Rwandan border around 1:00 p.m., where they underwent security checks before having their passports stamped at immigration. They stayed at the Rubavu border until the evening and left around 6:30 p.m. to make their way to Kigali.
Some of the soldiers were in wheelchairs after losing their legs in the fierce battles. While some wore military uniforms, others were in civilian clothing. They were escorted by the Rwanda Defence Force Military Police from the La Corniche One-Stop Border Post to Kigali International Airport.
This repatriation comes after growing calls for the SADC mission to withdraw, following the deaths of 18 soldiers—14 of them from South Africa—during clashes with the M23 rebels. The M23 rebels defeated both the Congolese army and the mission’s forces, capturing Goma and surrounding the remaining troops. The confrontation also resulted in the deaths of two Malawian and two Tanzanian soldiers in skirmishes around Sake and Goma in North Kivu Province.
Although reports of the soldiers’ departure from Goma surfaced on Friday, the process was delayed for undisclosed reasons. Discussions had been ongoing for two weeks about their return, with the United Nations facilitating talks with M23 rebels, who have long called for the withdrawal of SADC forces from the DRC.
Among the injured, one soldier has suffered a severe disability, losing both legs, and another, a young soldier, lost his sight during the conflict. Several others were injured by grenades, which led to further complications due to the harsh conditions they faced at the Sake military base. It was also reported that two of the soldiers are pregnant.
The repatriation comes as South Africa’s Parliament continues to pressure President Cyril Ramaphosa to withdraw troops, criticizing the deployment as putting soldiers at risk in a foreign conflict for private interests. The increasing casualties have sparked ongoing debates over South Africa’s continued military involvement in the DRC.
