A letter shared on social media indicates there is contact between South African soldiers seemingly confined to barracks in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and their rebel opponents Mouvement du Mars 23 (M23).
Other reports have it some of the South African contingent in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), are being held hostage. One going the hostage line is Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema. He is reported by IOL (Independent OnLine) as claiming South African soldiers were “effectively being held hostage by the M23 rebel group” when speaking at a Soweto church thanksgiving feast on Sunday.
Sandu (SA National Defence Union) Chief Negotiator Jeff Dubazana took an opposite view when interviewed by Newzroom Afrika. He told the Randburg headquartered television broadcaster there was no truth in claims M23 was holding South African soldiers hostage.
The broadcast was reported by IOL and had him saying “No, they are not being held hostage. They are simply in their bases”.
“What happened is that there was a negotiation around a ceasefire. Remember on 22 and 23 January they (rebels) tried to run over our base at Sake. We heavily dealt with them where we lost nine of our gallant soldiers. Now they know it is not easy to go over to Sake and attack our soldiers there.
“Our soldiers as we speak now, they are relatively safe even though in a war situation, no one can say anyone is safe. We are simply saying they are safe because our soldiers they are prepared for whatever eventuality that may arise.”
He, according to IOL, insisted the South African soldiers are confined to their bases and if any of them leaves base, “anything could happen to the resumption of fighting”.
This is contrary to what Malema is reported as telling those at the church feast. “For them to go to the toilet, they must get permission from M23. For them to get water, they must ask M23,” he reportedly said.
Contact – by way of letters on SAMIDRC letterheads from Lieutenant Colonel M Sello to a Colonel Augustine identified only as “M23 Military” and another from Lieutenant Colonel A Phamodi, Office Commanding the Composite Maintenance Unit, to “The Commander of M23” requests safe passage for 20 South African soldiers to collect food and water on a weekly basis and apologises for bad behaviour by the driver of a UN vehicle.
The social media poster notes, along with the letters, “In Goma and Masisi, the South African contingent under SAMIDRC remains under the areas controlled by M23 as uninvited guests, but they get along. Even when they mess up”.
A video report from Goma this week claimed more than 1 000 soldiers from the South African, Tanzanian and Malawian forces of SAMIDRC “who surrendered to the M23”, are still waiting to be repatriated at Goma airport.
African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier noted that from the video, the runway has been blocked by vehicles, with no visible damage, and that the SADC bases, including the SANDF bases, are completely surrounded by armed M23/Rwanda Defence Force fighters with even movements inside the bases being monitored.
SANDF and Tanzania People’s Defence Force vehicles have to carry white flags for any vehicle movements, to indicate that the truce/ceasefire remains in place. “This is far from a normal situation for any contingent,” Olivier stated.
There is still no clear indication of South African plans to get its troops in Goma out. About 700-800 reinforcements have been sent to Lubumbashi about 1 500 km south of Goma, but it is not clear how they will be deployed.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a diplomatic solution to the escalating conflict in the DRC, but East African Community and SADC summits have not resulted in any concrete plans of action, with calls for a ceasefire going unheeded. The M23, meanwhile, after consolidating control in Goma, on Sunday took the city of Bukavu in South Kivu province.
South Africa is believed to have around 3 000 troops deployed in Congo, both as part of a UN peacekeeping mission and SAMIDRC tasked with helping Congo’s army combat the M23 insurgency.
According to Rapport, the SANDF has a draft plan to withdraw South African troops and equipment from the DRC by April, but this plan has yet to be approved by Ramaphosa, who has publicly said South Africa will remain in the DRC.
