South African soldiers critically injured in fighting with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between 23 and 27 January 2025 have returned to South Africa. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) announced on Tuesday, 25 February, that the soldiers who needed urgent medical attention have been successfully repatriated… and will receive high level medical care. It is still unclear what will happen to the remaining soldiers — numbering between 1,000 and 2,000 — who remain trapped by M23 in difficult conditions in their bases around Goma, the capital of DRC’s North Kivu province, which the M23 captured on 27 January. Phemelo gets analysis on the latest from Risk Analyst and former diplomat Dr Kingsley Makhubela.