On April 8th, Lieutenant General FALL SIKABWE, Commander of the Ground Forces and Operations in North Kivu and South Kivu, paid tribute to the four soldiers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) who lost their lives on Congolese soil at Mubambiro. These soldiers, three Tanzanians and one South African, were killed on April 4th when they were hit by bombs dropped from the surrounding hills of the town of Sake, apparently by elements of the M23, with support from the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF).
The incident was declared by SAMIDRC in a press release issued the same day, expressing sincere regrets for the loss of the soldiers and the injuries sustained by three other members of the Tanzanian contingent. The SADC mission in the DRC emphasized that these soldiers were deployed in the east of the country as part of a regional response to counter the growing security instability in the region.
SADC also conveyed its condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers and the concerned governments, reaffirming its commitment to upholding the principles of collective defense and collective action as outlined in the SADC Mutual Defense Pact (2003).
The attitude of SAMIDRC remains focused on fulfilling its mandate, despite the losses suffered, underscoring the need to maintain the mission to prevent future similar tragedies.
