SANDF Quietly Pulls Troops Out of DRC as Unpaid Soldiers Threaten Legal Action

As tensions rise in the DRC, the SANDF has started pulling back its troops and gear from Lubumbashi – months after deploying them in a failed bid to support peace efforts in the conflict-ridden North Kivu region. Despite being flown in at great cost, sources say the troops never saw action – and now nearly 3,000 soldiers are threatening to take the SANDF to court over unpaid allowances worth R600,000 each. Flight data shows a quiet but steady extraction of soldiers and equipment using SANDF aircraft, but the Defence Force is tight-lipped. Govan Whittles speaks to Defence Analyst Ricardo Teixeira about what this quiet pull-out really signals.