Johannesburg, South Africa (AFP)—The Democratic Republic of Congo’s defence minister began a visit to South Africa Monday aimed at strengthening “strategic defence capabilities” between the two countries, South Africa’s government said.
The visit, due to last until Thursday, comes against the backdrop of an escalating conflict in the mineral-rich east of the DRC, where South African troops deployed with a mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have suffered severe losses.
This visit aims to further strengthen and enhance the longstanding bilateral defence relations between South Africa and the DRC,” South Africa’s defence ministry said in a statement.
The talks between Congolese Defence Minister Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita and his South African counterpart Angie Motshekga will focus on “key areas of defence cooperation and bolstering strategic defence capabilities”, it added.
The partnership is “crucial for fostering peace, security and stability across the region”, the ministry said.
Fourteen South African soldiers were killed in January in eastern DRC, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has launched a lightning offensive, seizing large swathes of land and key cities.
