By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African National Defence Force (Sandf) has confirmed two of its soldiers have died in a shooting incident, thought to be a murder suicide, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The incident occurred when one of them shot and killed the other with their service weapon before turning the weapon on themselves with fatal consequences,” the SANDF said in a statement.
The defence force revealed that it has convened a board of inquiry to work with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) command to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise has since expressed her “shock” at the incident.
The soldiers’ bodies are expected to be repatriated to South Africa “in due course”.
“All families have been informed of the unfortunate incident,” the statement furthers reads.
Last month, the two soldiers died following a mortar bomb attack inside one of the South African Contingent’s military bases in DRC.
Three others troops sustained injuries during the incident.
In February, at least 2900 SANDF soldiers were deployed provide support in combating illicit armed factions in the eastern region of the DRC.