JOHAANESBURG

South Africa’s foreign minister said Monday that his country is not immune to regional conflicts and that is why it has a responsibility to help other countries affected by conflict attain peace.

“Our nation will not be at peace if our regional community suffers in turmoil," Ronald Lamola told parliament during a debate on the recent killing of 14 South African peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lamola told lawmakers critical of the government’s decision to send troops to Congo that “to suggest that we should not resolve conflicts in Africa, regardless of their origin, is simplistic and profoundly naive."

He said South Africa’s freedom is a product of international solidarity, referring to the support they received from the global community during their struggle against the racist white minority regime.

“If we are serious about helping to silence the guns, we’ve no choice but to participate in regional efforts to silence the guns either under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) or the African Union, or even the UN Security Council," he said.

Opposition party leaders Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party and Mmusi Maimane, the leader of the Build One South Africa party, were among those who called on the government to bring back the more than 2,900 South African soldiers serving as peacekeepers in Congo.

“It’s often said that soldiers die in fields they have not chosen. The leadership of parliament chose that field for them. Let us bring our troops back home. They have no business there (Congo). It’s getting worse by the day. People are dying. More people are being displaced," said Maimane.

“Our troops should be brought home immediately. We cannot allow more lives to be lost in a senseless conflict while corrupt politicians continue to loot and mismanage our defense resources. Bring them back home now,” he added.

He said parliament was told in 2023 that South African troops would be engaged in peacekeeping in eastern Congo but it has now been established they were engaged in direct combat, fighting against “highly armed” and “strategically superior M23 rebels” supported by Rwandan President Paul Kagame.”

Maimane said the South African National Defense Force was underfunded and allegedly ravaged by corruption, where officials sell the country’s military technology to foreign entities.

At least 20 peacekeepers were killed in the eastern Congo last month during clashes with M23 rebels as they advanced to take control of Goma from Congolese armed forces. Fourteen of the slain peacekeepers were from South Africa. The deceased also included three Malawians, two Tanzanians and a Uruguayan UN peacekeeper.

Defense Minister Angie Motshekga said the bodies of South Africa’s fallen soldiers will arrive in the country on Thursday.

“All departed soldiers will be laid to rest in full military honors,” said Motshekga.

The M23 rebels now claim control of Goma and have declared their own administration in the city.

Since Jan. 26, more than 3,000 people have been killed, 2,880 injured and over 500,000 displaced, adding to the 6.4 million already internally displaced people, according to the UN.