Zuko Komisa

2900 SANDF soldiers headed to fight against illegal armed groups in the eastern DRC.
At least 2,900 members of the South African National Defence Force will be sent to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to help fight illegal armed groups.
The deployment was ordered by President Cyril Ramaphosa to fulfill South Africa’s international commitment to support the DRC as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission.
The Presidency has announced that the deployment occurs as the Democratic Republic of Congo fights Tutsi-led M23 rebels, whose advances and attacks in recent days have put the provincial capital of North Kivu, Goma, in danger.
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Every SADC Member State is responsible for providing troops to the mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Included in the group of 16 countries that make up SADC is the Congo.
“The employment will cover the period from 15 December 2023 to 15 December 2024 and it was authorised in accordance with the provisions of section 201(2) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
“The budgeted expenditure to be incurred for the employment amounts to just over R2 billion. This expenditure will not impact provisions for the defence force’s regular maintenance and emergency repairs,”
Statement from the Presidency
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