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The South African Armed Forces (SANDF) said on Tuesday that a regional force fighting jihadist violence in Mozambique had launched an investigation.
The command “is investigating the involvement of its members in this despicable act,” the SANDF, which sent troops to Mozambique, said in a statement. “The perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
A widely shared image shows a soldier throwing a corpse into a fire where at least one other corpse was already burning. One of them pours liquid over the remains, while others, including one wearing a South African military sign, watch and film the scene on their mobile phones.
The incident is believed to have occurred in November 2022, according to SANDF.
In a statement, South Africa’s main opposition party (DA) called the act a “disgrace” to the country and recalled that there are international rules on how to treat the dead “even in areas of conflict”.
Nearly 4,500 people, including nearly 2,000 civilians, have already died in the northeastern state of Cabo Delgado, which has been plagued by jihadist violence since 2017, according to Acled, an NGO that collects data in conflict areas. ing. According to the United Nations, one million people have been forced from their homes by violence.
More than 3,000 African troops will be deployed in 2021 to support Mozambican forces in poor Muslim-majority areas bordering Tanzania.
Although the intensity of the violence has decreased, sporadic attacks continue.
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