
Among the bodies are soldiers who died fighting M23 in its battle to capture the city, as well as others who lost their lives in combat around Sake.
South African opposition politician Julius Malema revealed that a soldier stationed in Goma reported how his fallen comrades' bodies had begun to rot.
"We were informed that the bodies are decomposing. There is no way to retrieve them. The South African military base near Goma's airport has been taken over. Our soldiers are in M23's hands. When they need to use the restroom, they have to ask M23 for permission, and they are escorted there. This was reported by a soldier on the ground," Malema stated.
He accused the South African government of hiding the truth about the situation, claiming they have chosen to mislead the public about the real reasons behind the troops' deployment to the DRC.
South Africa has announced that the bodies of the fallen soldiers will be repatriated on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. However, concerns remain over how this will be executed, given that air and sea routes have been blocked. The only viable option is to transport the bodies through Rwanda.
Reports indicate that Rwanda had granted South Africa permission to use its territory for repatriation, but South Africa allegedly refused the offer.

IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/decomposing-bodies-of-sa-soldiers-left-unattended-in-goma