South African soldiers “fought like heroes” and killed at least 600 M23 rebels during a 24-hour gunfight in Sake, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) , where they lost nine of their members last week.
This information was revealed to Sunday World by an award-winning a journalist, who witnessed the lethal exchange of fire while researching his book in Sake. Several government officials in Congo and South Africa corroborated his information.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday World, the journalist, who asked not to be named as he is well-known in the region and lives in one of the countries neighbouring Congo, said: “It was a fearsome bloody battle, which lasted for about 24 hours.”
He revealed that South African soldiers were exposed and ambushed after members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was leading the front line, surrendered to M23 rebels during the deadly shoot-out in Sake, 23km from the turbulent Goma.
He added that some members of the Burundi army, which was a backup to the SANDF, also ran for cover while some of them surrendered to the rebels.
After the 24-hour carnage-filled clash, nine South African soldiers were killed, as well as one Tanzanian and two Malawian soldiers, who were part of the SADC peacekeeping force.
A senior editor, who also writes for an international publication, said South African soldiers were “heroic” in that brutal fight. “Your soldiers fought like heroes and killed more than 100 of the M23 rebels. I was there and saw it with my own eyes.”
Deputy defence minister General Bantu Holomisa, also confirmed on Friday that they had “received similar reports”.
“It is up to the United Nations, who are leading this peacekeeping mission in Congo, to confirm the information, and we cannot because some might view it as propaganda. But I can confirm that we received similar reports,” Holomisa said.
“Our troops fought well and repelled those troops in a big way.”
Unconfirmed reports suggest that South African soldiers might have killed as many as 600 rebels. Others put the figure at 960. There are other reports that suggest that almost 1 000 rebels were killed,” another source with intimate knowledge said.
“It’s clear that our troops were let down by other troops, our neighbours. The troops of the DRC surrendered. They were supposed to cover another flank; they disappeared, and all of a sudden SA troops ended up being attacked by mortars and so on,” Holomisa said.
The editor added that he also witnessed members of the SANDF and the M23 rebels raising their white flags. “The flags were raised to allow the M23 rebels collect the bodies of their dead soldiers; they were lying everywhere, and the heroic South African soldiers deserve to be praised as they also observed the international war conventions, which stipulate that whenever a white flag is raised, the shooting must stop.”
Holomisa also confirmed the editor’s version on Friday, as did the SANDF.
The SANDF statement indicated the gesture also allowed SA soldiers to take their injured colleagues for medical attention.
The statement explained that three SANDF members were killed on Monday when a mortar bomb was launched by the M23 rebels at the army base, bringing the number of killed South African soldiers at that stage to 13.
Another South African soldier died in hospital from gunshot wounds, bringing the total to 14.
Sources in Congo confirmed that after the M23 rebels collected the bodies, they cremated them to conceal evidence of their defeat.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the commander in chief of the army, on Wednesday praised SA’s fallen members as “brave soldiers who were dedicated to their mission and committed to peace”.
The president also urged all South Africans to “rally behind our brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to bringing peace to our continent”.
