JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – The South African National Defence Force has strongly denied claims that its soldiers returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo were disarmed while passing through Rwanda, following a Sunday City Press article alleging troops returned without weapons.
SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala accused the publication of failing to verify information before publishing, calling the report “sensationalist” and warning it could compromise troop safety during the withdrawal process.
“The article is not factual but sensationalist, and it appears to be aimed at creating panic and discrediting all involved,” Tshabalala said in a statement. “We view this irresponsible reporting in a serious light with a potential to compromise the safety of our troops and carefully coordinated withdrawal process.”
The military spokesman emphasised that all transit operations through partner countries are conducted within agreements and protocols established between SADC and countries involved. He criticised the article’s author for not verifying facts with SANDF and for hiding behind unnamed sources.
The denial comes amid ongoing tensions in eastern DRC, where South Africa has lost 14 soldiers in fighting with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels since January. The Southern African Development Community announced in March it would conduct a phased withdrawal of troops from its DRC mission after rebels seized key cities including Goma and Bukavu.
South Africa is believed to have around 3,000 troops deployed in Congo as part of both UN peacekeeping missions and a Southern African regional force tasked with helping Congo’s army combat the M23 insurgency. The intervention has drawn criticism at home after the fall of Goma left South African soldiers surrounded with no clear exit strategy.
This is not the first time SANDF has faced claims about the status of its troops in the region. In February, the military denied reports that soldiers were being held captive, disarmed, or deprived of food by M23 rebels, with spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini stating “Our troops have not been disarmed whatsoever. No one has gained entry into our bases and taken control.”
In its latest statement, SANDF said the City Press report “must be condemned in the strongest possible terms as nothing but hearsay” and warned such reporting compromises troop safety.
The M23 conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than seven million people displaced and the conflict described as decades-long. The UN and DRC accuse Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, an accusation Kigali denies, though UN experts estimate about 4,000 Rwandan troops support the group.
