The South African soldiers killed when a mortar hit their position at a SAMIDRC (Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) base last week were infantrymen attached to 2 SA Infantry (SAI) Battalion for the continental deployment.
They were Captain Simon Mkhulu Bobe and Lance Corporal Irven Thabang Semono, on the personnel strength of 1 SAI in Bloemfontein. Their names were made public by Colonel Selinah Rawlins, Acting Director, Defence Corporate Communication (DCC). She provided no names of the three soldiers injured in the same mortar attack last Wednesday (14 February) saying they are still hospitalised and “remain in good condition”.
All five were in the advance party of the South African contingent for the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peacekeeping mission. It is not known when the bulk of the 2 900-strong South African contingent will leave for the troubled central African country.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Commander-in-Chief of the SA National Defence Force (SAND), authorised a 12-month deployment of just short of three thousand soldiers and support personnel at a cost of R2 billion. The duty period started on 15 December last year and is set to finish on the same date this December.
In addition to the home country’s Forces Armees de la Republic Democratique du Congo (FARDC), there will also be soldiers and support personnel from Malawi and Tanzania in the overall SAMIDRC force.
Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania have been troop contributing countries (TCCs) to the MONUSCO Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) since it was set up in 2013.
