Feb 13 (AGCNewsNet) – The bodies of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been repatriated and will be officially handed over to their families at a ceremony on Thursday at Air Force Base Swartkop.

The handover is scheduled for 6 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 7 p.m. The soldiers lost their lives during violent clashes in the eastern DRC city of Goma, where they were deployed as part of South Africa’s peacekeeping mission.

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga stated that the fallen soldiers include:

· Seven from Limpopo

· Three from the Free State

· Others from the North West, Eastern Cape, and Northern Cape

They will be laid to rest with full military honors.

The repatriation process faced delays, with the soldiers' bodies initially transported to the United Nations Logistics Base in Entebbe, Uganda, before finally being flown to South Africa.

Defence analyst Dean Wingrin criticized the handling of the process, saying families were not kept adequately informed and that shifting schedules for the handover ceremony added further distress.

Despite the setbacks, the ceremonies are set to proceed later on Thursday as the nation pays tribute to the fallen troops.

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