Ministry of Defense soldier.
Raymond Morale/Daily Sun
- A mortar shell hits a SANDF camp in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing two soldiers and injuring three others.
- M23 rebels are the Congolese army Southern Africa Development Community Mission in DRC Attack on civilian points.
- The DRC Defense Minister called on government forces to wipe out the M23 rebels.
Two SA National Defense Force (SANDF) soldiers have been killed in a mortar attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Currently, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) is deployed to bring stability to the region following attacks by M23 rebels.
The SANDF said in a statement that a mortar shell landed on one of its bases in the afternoon and “as a result of indirect fire, two SANDF personnel were killed and three injured.”
SANDF said further information was not available and an investigation was ongoing to establish the exact facts.
Three wounded soldiers were taken to a hospital in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which remains under the control of SAMI DRC.
For the past week, fierce gun battles have raged between the M23 rebel group, believed to be funded by Rwanda, and the SAMIDRC, which is comprised of the SANDF, Malawi Defense Forces, Tanzanian Armed Forces, and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). .
M23 rebels accused SAMIDRC of attacking civilian positions in towns around Goma, including Mushaki, Kibumba and Sake.
The rebel movement claims to protect civilians in areas under its control.
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in statementM23 said Sake's “compatriots” should “calm down and go about their business.”
M23 spokesperson Willie Ngoma claimed that SAMIDRC lost some battles and even misplaced weapons.
“The coalition of governments that used Machiavellian strategies to exterminate the surrounding population has completely declined, and the expressed desire of the Democratic Republic of Congo government has put the lions on alert.”
he added:
Since 5:30 a.m. (Tuesday), the government coalition has been attacking our positions on the Kibumba axis, the fighting is ongoing, the enemy is disorganized, we have suffered some losses, and as usual have given up their weapons and ammunition.
As the M23 rebels continue their march, refugees are being forced within 10 kilometers of Goma. The town is already home to more than 150,000 recently internally displaced persons.
Last Friday, Jean-Pierre Bemba, Minister of Defense of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, arrived in North Kivu to rally against FARDC soldiers to show no mercy.
On November 20, 2012, M23 rebel forces captured Goma, with little resistance from DRC forces.
Rebels paraded through the city and several people came out to greet them. Congolese customs officials have given up their jobs, leaving the border with Rwanda open.
M23's name comes from the March 23, 2009 peace agreement that the DRC government has accused of ignoring.
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