Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaderd are expected to hold an extraordinary summit on Thursday, March 13, to discuss the security situation in eastern DR Congo, the bloc's secretariat has announced. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in his capacity as Chairperson of SADC, will chair the virtual summit, the regional bloc's statement added. ALSO READ: Rwanda will not bear burden of DR Congo's failures- Nduhungirehe The extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government “will receive updates on the latest security situation in the DRC and deliberate on the recommendation from the Extraordinary SADC Organ Troika Summit,” according to the bloc’s secretariat. On March 6, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, chaired an Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit, a high-level meeting which brought together leaders from SAMIDRC troop contributing countries in the conflict-battered area, in her capacity as the chair of the SADC organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation. ALSO READ: Are SADC troops on verge of leaving eastern DR Congo? The development followed a Joint Chief of Defence Forces of the EAC-SADC, on February 24, and a subsequent ministerial meeting on February 28, 2025. ALSO READ: Gen Muganga attends EAC defence chiefs meet on DR Congo According to the SADC secretariat, resolutions from the Troika summit are expected to be tabled before Thursday’s meeting as leaders look to deliberate on the security situation in eastern DR Congo. Reports indicate that the summit is expected to focus on the decades-long instability in eastern DR Congo, with key discussions expected to revolve around the region’s security and the potential withdrawal of troops deployed there. ALSO READ: High time South African forces left eastern DR Congo - M23 spokesperson According to the reports, the proposed withdrawal will occur in phases, but the exact details and timelines have yet to be worked out and announced. The bloc’s secretariat said that a report from the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security will provide updates on the situation, which has become a significant concern for the region. Just last month, Malawi announced it was withdrawing its troops from eastern DR Congo. The SAMIDRC forces – comprising South African, Malawi and Tanzanian troops – are confined to their bases in AFC/M23 rebel-controlled territory. Their movements are being controlled by the rebels. The rebel movement says it is fighting for governance that supports basic human rights. It has vowed to uproot tribalism, nepotism, corruption, and genocide ideology, among other vices, widespread in the DR Congo’s army coalition.
