IOL News reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed that one of its soldiers was killed on 30 May while on duty in Sake in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Sergeant Mbulelo David Ngubane, 39, was killed following contact between M23 and SADC forces. Sergeant Ngubane, who was an Operational Medical Practitioner in the SA Military Health Service (SAMHS), was shot and killed when the ambulance in which he was tending to injured members was attacked. “The vehicle was clearly marked with large medical symbols on both sides and on top, depicting a medical vehicle. This unfortunate incident occurred even though the Geneva Convention on Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) clearly stipulates categories of protected persons and objects like medical personnel, medical transport in particular and other establishment of this nature during an armed conflict. This act goes against established international norms in the conduct of armed conflict,” the defence force said. The details of the memorial service and the funeral will be communicated in due course. In April, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the deployment of the almost 1,400 soldiers in Mozambique and the DRC had been extended until December 2024 and March 2025, respectively.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL News

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