On a UN mission in Congo, a South African soldier was murdered by a hand grenade

The South African military stated that a soldier who was serving in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a UN peacekeeping team perished on Monday after a hand grenade detonated near to his sleeping quarters.

In a statement released late on Tuesday, the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) stated that the cause of the hand grenade explosion was unknown and that a board of inquiry comprising UN experts will look into the Beni event.

In order to assist the government in fighting rebel groups, South African soldiers are in the Congo as part of both the MONUSCO UN force and a separate mission sent by the SADC, a regional organization based in southern Africa.

At least seven South African soldiers have died in the Congo since February, counting the most recent tragedy.

In May, one person was murdered in a combat with M23 rebels backed by Rwanda, while two more were killed in a mortar attack on a SANDF base in Sake, eastern Congo, last month.

In April, someone passed away following treatment for an undisclosed medical condition, while in February, two people were murdered in a mortar strike.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, responded angrily to charges that the troops in the Congo lacked proper equipment at the time of the February deaths.

In phases, the UN military is leaving the Congo. A schedule for the next phase has not yet been established, despite an increase in conflicts in the unrest-plagued east since the first stage was finished last month.