We have been energized

THE TANZANIA People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) has emphatically vowed that last week’s attack on Tanzanian peacekeepers in DR Congo won’t dishearten them, but had on the contrary energized their zeal, bravery and commitment in discharging their duties.

During the last Thursday’s deadly attack, the rebels killed 14 Tanzanian soldiers and wounded 44 others. Two went missing. The TPDF’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General James Mwakibolwa, said yesterday that procedures to airlift the bodies of the slain 14 soldiers back home are being undertaken by the government and the United Nations (UN).

“We expect that the bodies will be brought on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the outcome of the arrangements made by the government and the UN,” he said. As the arrangements to transport the bodies were ongoing, the TPDF had completed procedures to inform the families of the departed warriors. Lieutenant General Mwakibolwa said they were informed that the conditions of the wounded soldiers were improving.

The TPDF declined to name the fallen warriors, saying it was too early to release the names. He explained that defence forces and government authorities were continuing with follow-ups on the attack, including investigating the area of attack.

The raid took place at a place called Semuliki, on the border with Uganda. The region was a stronghold of a militant group, according to the Congo Research Group, but in early 2014, most of its camps there were destroyed in raids by the Congolese army, supported by the United Nations peacekeepers.

Lieutenant General Mwakibolwa stated that the incursion was the worst since 2011 when the country’s armies started participating in the peacekeeping mission in DRC, and it had resulted in alarming effects. He said it was obvious that the rivals had also lost many of its people because the area in question looked like ‘abattoir’.

However, typical of such confrontations, it was difficult to establish the number of members of the rebel group who died because the bodies of the deceased had been carried away by their colleagues.

“On behalf of the Chief of Defence Forces, I assure my fellow Tanzanians that the incident will never dishearten us and it hasn’t weakened the TPDF’s resolve to raise the Tanzanian flag within and outside the country,” Lieutenant General Mwakibolwa remarked.

Instead, he said: “To us, the incident has added more strength, new zeal and bravery in discharging our duties.”He explained that despite the killings and injuring of the soldiers, the remaining Tanzanian troops in DRC still had the ability to effectively and skilfully carry out their responsibilities.

Speaking over the country’s security, he said: “Our country is safe and will continue to be safe and anyone who wants to try us will be dealt with accordingly. The history of our army proves our ability.”


The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission for the Democratic Republic of Congo, known by its acronym, Monusco, is the largest United Nations peacekeeping mission in the world, with more than 16,000 soldiers.