The DA was commenting amid news of nine SA soldiers being killed in clashes with M23 rebels near the strategic city of Goma in eastern DRC.

Flights to and from Goma have been cancelled as rebels advanced on the city.

The United Nations security council will meet later today in an emergency session- to discuss the escalating crisis.

DA Spokesperson on defence Chris Hattingh, says the deployment fuels speculation that the SANDF is in the DRC to protect private interests.

“This is an untenable situation, and we should get out of there as soon as possible. We don’t need to be there, why we’re there- well the motivation from the President’s side is we need a stable Southern Africa, we are supporting Southern African Development Community (SADC). But, even the SADC countries with most interest in the conflict, Angola, and Zambia- they do not have troops there. We’ve got no business there, and the more people ask these questions, the more the rumour comes up- we are there in the mineral rich eastern DRC- to protect the mining interests of some very prominent South Africans.”

--SABC--