Eight soldiers arrested in DRC have returned to South Africa to answer to 'sexual abuse and exploitation' allegations.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has recalled eight of its soldiers who were detained this month by the United Nations in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for "sexual abuse and exploitation".

The SANDF said it had received a UN report containing allegations of "serious acts of ill-discipline and misconduct" by the SANDF soldiers deployed in DRC as peacekeepers as part of the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO.

"Due to the serious nature of the allegations, the SANDF took a decision to recall the implicated soldiers back to South Africa to answer to the allegations and to give account of events that transpired on Sunday, 1 October 2023 in Beni," an SANDF statement said.

"Furthermore, National Investigating Officers have been dispatched to the MONUSCO deployment area to conduct a formal investigation. Upon completion of the investigation, the SANDF will pronounce itself."

It added that the UN report alleged that UN Military Police had apprehended the eight soldiers on 1 October 2023 "for being in direct breach of the curfew time and other regulations related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse".

The SANDF also said it was unfortunate that the UN had not informed South Africa, as a troop-contributing country (TCC)...