Pretoria – South African troops have begun deploying to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s volatile east as part of a special UN brigade to battle armed rebels, the deputy foreign minister said on Friday.

“South African troops are on their way to the DRC now,” deputy international relations minister Ebrahim Ebrahim told reporters.

South Africa has pledged 1 345 soldiers to the first-ever offensive United Nations brigade.

Tanzania and Malawi are also part of the 3 000-strong force, which began deploying to Goma on 13 May.

“The Tanzanians are already on the ground,” said Ebrahim.

The eastern Congo has been the scene of intense fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels, an armed group launched by Tutsi former soldiers who mutinied in April 2012.

– AFP