Daily Maverick reports that four more South African soldiers have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), bringing to 13 the number of SA soldiers who have died in fierce fighting with M23 rebels backed by Rwanda over the last five days.

Three of the soldiers died in fighting at the airport in the provincial capital of Goma on Monday. The fourth died from injuries sustained in a clash with M23 on Thursday and Friday last week when nine SA National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers died. The rebels have now captured Goma. M23 claimed to have captured the city earlier on Monday. Later on Monday, there was a skirmish between M23 and DRC forces and their allies in which the three SANDF soldiers were killed. SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said on Monday night that SANDF troops were confined to their bases in Goma and Sake, 23km to the northwest “in a very tense situation”. The troops are surrounded and unable to get out to seek treatment for their wounded or to receive supplies or reinforcements. Dlamini denied that the SANDF had surrendered its main base at Sake. A disturbing video circulated on social media shows an SANDF soldier raising a white flag at the base. Dlamini confirmed the authenticity of the video but said the white flag had been raised as part of a brief truce agreed between the SANDF forces and the M23/Rwandan force to allow M23 to collect their dead from the battlefield. The SANDF agreed to that if the SANDF could transport its injured out of the camp for treatment. But, the truce lapsed without the dead being collected “But it was not a surrender,” Dlamini emphasised.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Peter Fabricius at Daily Maverick

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page