The Mubambiro base near the eastern Congolese town of Sake has become a death trap for the 2,400 South African troops stationed there. Hemmed in by mountains crawling with rebels of the M23, a Tutsi militant group backed by Rwanda, the South Africans are regularly shelled by precision-guided mortars. With no air defence or ability to warn of incoming artillery fire, casualties have mounted: seven soldiers have been killed and 33 wounded this year. The base is short of medicine, food and ammunition. Morale is dismal.
Why South Africa’s army is floundering in Congo
By King Jaja
