JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Members of the Southern African Development Community military mission in Mozambique are under investigation after video circulated on social media showing them dumping bodies onto a burning rubble pile, authorities said. on Tuesday.
The soldiers are part of the mission deployed by the regional bloc of 16 southern African countries to fight against Islamic extremists who have spread terror against communities in northern Mozambique.
The insurgency in Mozambique has been blamed for more than 3,000 deaths since 2017, with more than 800,000 people displaced and more than 1 million in need of food aid, according to the UN World Food Program.
The video shows unidentified members of the mission burning a pile of rubble, including furniture and utensils, and dumping a body on top of it while another body lay on top of the burning trash.
At least one soldier dressed in military uniform with a South African flag is seen holding his rifle in one hand and filming the incident on a cell phone with the other.
The incident is believed to have taken place in November last year.
The spokesman for the South African National Defense Force, Brig. General Mokoena Mahapa described the incident as a “despicable act”, saying it was against the law of armed conflict and that the mission force commander is investigating.
“SANDF does not in any way condone the acts committed in the video and those found guilty of such acts will be brought to justice,” Mahapa said.
He said the South African soldiers on the mission are part of a combined force and are under the command and control of the mission.
“South Africa only supports their mission logistically,” Mahapa said.
Some 600 South African soldiers have been in the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique since October 2021 as part of the regional force of about 1,000 soldiers that also includes Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi, Lesotho and Zambia.
