Bulelwa Hoala

The mortal remains of the 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have arrived in South Africa.
According to the SANDF, the remains will be handed over to the soldiers’ families at a ceremony which will be held at the Air Force Base Swartkop in Johannesburg on Thursday, 13 February 2025 at 6 pm.
WATCH LIVE STREAM || Handing-Over Ceremony of Fallen Soldiers and the Memorial Service.
— SA National Defence Force 🇿🇦 (@SANDF_ZA) February 13, 2025
Date || Thursday, 13 February 2025.
Time || 18:00.
Venue || Air Force Base Swartkop (Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing).
SA Defence News YouTube Channel || https://t.co/klOBTskkwB.#SANDF pic.twitter.com/8p8RfUCD35
The soldiers died in battle against M23 rebels during the period of 23 to 27 January 2025 in Goma.
The South African Government News Agency (SAnews.gov.za) reports that the SANDF is part of the 16 forces involved in a peacekeeping mission in the DRC.
“The soldiers are part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), which aims to help restore peace, security, and stability in Africa’s second-largest country.”
This comes after a long repatriation process with multiple delays.
The SANDF confirmed the arrival of the remains in Uganda on Saturday, 8 February and said the bodies would undergo standard pathology procedures starting from Sunday, 9 February.
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