Charter flights have been returning SA National Defence Force (SANDF) troops and equipment from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past week, after the termination of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) mission there.
After SAMIDRC (Sadc Mission in DRC) was terminated in mid-March, most troops were flown back in June aboard chartered Air Tanzania aircraft.
After being sent to a staging ground in Tanzania, most of the heavy equipment was due to return via sea.
In a reply to a parliamentary question in July, defence minister Angie Motshekga said prime mission equipment used in the SAMIDRC deployment would be transported back to SA by Sadc-contracted commercial cargo vessels from Dar es Salaam to the port in Durban. The SANDF still has troops and equipment in DRC serving with the UN’s mission there (Monusco).
On Wednesday, defence analyst Dean Wingrin said repatriation of non-Monusco SANDF troops and equipment from Kinshasa and Lubumbashi in DRC continued. A Boeing 737 (troops) and an Il-76 (cargo) were being used and would continue for a few days, he said.
Three Oryx helicopters would be flown back to SA and two others would be airlifted, Wingrin said.
African Defence Review director Darren Olivier clarified that even the Oryx stuck in rebel-controlled Goma would be returning to SA.
Last month news reports said the five Oryx in DRC were likely to be permanently stranded there. Four Oryx are in Lubumbashi while a fifth remains at Goma airport under M23 rebel control after it was hit by rebel fire last year.
However, Olivier confirmed three of the four Oryx at Lubumbashi were serviceable and ground crews were working on the other ahead of an order to return.
The UN is meant to repatriate the one at Goma. UN forces and a team of SA Air Force (SAAF) technicians are protecting it.
It has been reported that about 375 soldiers from the SANDF’s protective force remained deployed in Lubumbashi. Another 350 soldiers were stationed in Kinshasa to facilitate the withdrawal of equipment contributed under SAMIDRC.
It is believed the troops and equipment are what is being withdrawn. Over the past few days, flight tracking data has shown many chartered aircraft flying between Lubumbashi and Kinshasa and air force base Waterkloof in Pretoria using SAAF call signs. This has included a Cobra Aviation Boeing 737 and a Fly Sky Airlines Il-76TD transporter. These two aircraft were tracked arriving in SA on Wednesday from DRC. The Il-76TD departed Waterkloof for Lubumbashi again on Thursday.
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