5th group of SANDF soldiers back in SA after DRC deployment
SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala said that more soldiers were expected to return in the coming days.
The first group of SANDF soldiers deployed to the DRC arrive at Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria on 13 June 2025. Picture: SANDF
JOHANNESBURG - The fifth group of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops has arrived in the country from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The 258 soldiers landed in Bloemfontein on Friday morning.
They had been in North Kivu since December 2023 for a Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission deployment in the DRC.
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Their withdrawal comes after a ceasefire agreement was brokered between the rebel group, M23, and the DRC military.
SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala said that more soldiers were expected to return in the coming days.
"The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confirms the safe arrival of the fifth group of 258 members at Bram Fischer International Airport in Bloemfontein this morning, Friday, 20 June 2025."