The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has officially terminated its military mission (SAMIDRC) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and directed a phased withdrawal of its troops from the country.
This decision was announced on Thursday, March 13, following an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the regional bloc, held virtually in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The summit deliberated on the security situation in eastern DRC, where SADC forces had been deployed to support the Congolese army and its coalition partners, including Burundian forces, European mercenaries, the FDLR (a UN-sanctioned militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda), and local armed groups known as Wazalendo, in efforts to neutralize the M23.
The M23 rebels, part of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), have taken control of Goma and Bukavu, two major cities in eastern DRC.
This has forced government troops and their allies to either flee or surrender.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in his capacity as SADC Chairperson, chaired the extraordinary summit on the DRC crisis. During the meeting, he emphasized the need for urgent action to implement solutions.
The summit also called on the international community, including the United Nations and the African Union, to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the violence in eastern DRC.
“Urgent action is needed to implement solutions, strengthen security, and protect communities. Together, we will secure our region,” President Mnangagwa posted on X.
SADC, a regional economic bloc comprising 16 member states, includes the DRC, Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The bloc had deployed its military intervention force, SAMIDRC, in December 2023, consisting of South African, Tanzanian, and Malawian troops, with an offensive mandate to defeat M23.
Currently, SADC troops remain confined to their bases in AFC/M23-controlled territory after suffering significant defeats in January.
SADC forces sustained 18 fatalities, including 14 South African soldiers, two from Malawi, and two from Tanzania, during clashes that led to the capture of Goma in January.
Dozens of others were wounded, and up to 200 soldiers were repatriated through Rwanda on February 24.
The decision to terminate the SADC military mission was announced a day after the scheduled direct peace talks between AFC/M23 rebels and the Congolese government, set to begin in Luanda, Angola, on March 18.
