At least two South African soldiers have been killed and three others wounded when a mortar bomb hit their base in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of 2,900 troops to the DRC as part of a regional mission.

The deadly incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said on Thursday morning.

‘’A mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African contingent bases, inflicting casualties and injuries to SANDF soldiers,’’ it added in a statement.

The names of the dead and injured soldiers were not revealed.

Investigations

SANDF noted that details of the incident were still ‘’sketchy’’ and ‘’further investigations will be conducted.’’

The soldiers were deployed to support and ‘’assist the government of DRC to bring security and stability to the region’’.

Congolese people have been living through a storm of crises for decades.

In 2021, the M23 rebels (March 23), one of several armed groups fighting in eastern Congo, seized swathes of territory in North Kivu province.

The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC has resulted in the displacement of nearly seven million people, according to the UN.

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