The Tanzania People’s Defence Forces have confirmed the death of its two soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the conflict between the Kinshasa Government and March 23 rebels are escalating.
An official statement from the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces, signed by the TPDF Acting Director of Information Communications Colonel Gaudentius Gervas Ironda, reveals that two of their soldiers were recently gunned down in the DR Congo.
According to Colonel Ironda, the war in DRC has also left four other Tanzanian PDF military officers badly injured, having been caught in the middle of firearms exchanging episodes between the M23 rebel forces and the Congolese loyal state army, FARDC.
The two Tanzanian soldiers were reportedly killed between the 24th of 28th of January 2025 during the fighting at the Sake and Goma areas in Eastern DR Congo.
More than 700 people have so far been killed in the Eastern DR Congo, with nearly 3000 others seriously injured from the ongoing conflict.
The Tanzania People’s Defense Forces is taking part in the ongoing peace reinforcement initiatives being undertaken by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries through their joint SAMIDRC initiatives.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) was deployed on 15 December 2023 to support the Government of the DRC to restore peace and security in the eastern DRC, which has witnessed an increase in conflicts and instability caused by the resurgence of armed groups.
The deployment of the SAMIDRC was approved by the Extraordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia, on 08 May 2023 as a regional response to address the unstable and deteriorating security situation prevailing in the Eastern DRC.
As part of the SAMIDRC, a SADC regional force from the Republics of Malawi, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania and elements of the DRC Armed Forces are working with the Congolese Army, the Forces Armees de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC), in fighting armed groups operating in the Eastern DRC.