South African lawmakers welcome SADC decision to withdraw troops from DR Congo

A South African parliamentary defence oversight committee has welcomed the decision by the Southern African Development Community to withdraw its troops from eastern DR Congo so as to pursue a political and diplomatic route in addressing the crisis there. A SADC summit on March 13 terminated the mandate of the regional bloc’s military mission in eastern DR Congo and “directed the commencement of a phased withdrawal” of its troops from the country. This came a day after it was announced that direct peace talks between AFC/M23 rebels and the Congolese government are set to start in Luanda, Angola, on March 18. The co-chairs of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, lawmakers Malusi Gigaba and Phiroane Phala, welcomed the decision to terminate the Southern African Mission in DR Congo (SAMIDRC) especially following the death of 14 South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) soldiers on the frontline before the AFC/M23 rebels defeated a vast Congolese army coalition and captured towns such as Sake and Goma. “The chairpersons welcomed the decision, especially following the death of 14 SANDF soldiers in the DRC and the need to explore other political and diplomatic options to resolve the impasse,” the committee co-chairs said. “The recommendation by SADC Heads of State to support other interventions aimed at bringing lasting peace and security in DRC reaffirms our belief that dialogue should be placed at the centre of efforts to resolve the DRC conflict. Achieving peace and stability in eastern DRC is a precondition for economic growth and development of not only the DRC but of the region.” The Congolese army has been battling the rebels with the help of allies including hundreds of European mercenaries, a Rwandan genocidal militia group known as FDLR, a group of Congolese militias known as Wazalendo, over 10,000 Burundian troops, South African-led SADC forces, as well as UN peacekeepers. One of the most dangerous elements in the Congolese coalition, FDLR, is a DR Congo-based terrorist militia founded by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. ALSO READ: 'Are you ready to fight?' When rebel commander confronted SADC troops The latest fighting between the Congolese government army coalition and M23 rebels started in 2021. M23 is now part of a larger rebel coalition, Alliance fleuve Congo (AFC), created in December 2023. AFC is fighting for governance that supports basic human rights, secures all Congolese citizens, and addresses the root causes of conflict. Its leaders have vowed to uproot tribalism, nepotism, corruption, and genocide ideology, among other vices, widespread in DR Congo. ALSO READ: M23 are no terrorists, the Congolese army is – say Bukavu residents Since January, the rebels quickly advanced across North and South Kivu provinces, liberating swathes of territory. Following heavy fighting triggered by constant violations by the Congolese army coalition, of an earlier set ceasefire, on January 27, the rebels captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, and restore order there. As the security situation in South Kivu deteriorated amid reports of violence, looting, and abuses propagated by the Congolese army coalition, the rebels again reacted, first capturing the strategic airport of Kavumu, before moving south to capture the regional capital, Bukavu, on February 15. ALSO READ: Bukavu business community urges M23 to quickly secure city, halt criminal activity Gigaba and Phala said they were encouraged by the reassurance that SADC will continue to work with the East African Community (EAC) to merge the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes to enhance peace-building in eastern DR Congo. The SADC troops were deployed, in December 2023, to shore up the poorly trained and indiscipline Congolese army in its fight against M23 rebels. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: SADC soldiers repatriated through Rwanda On February 24, close to 200 injured SADC soldiers were repatriated after being given safe passage through Rwanda. Efforts to remove all the others are now expected to move forward now that SAMIDRC’s mandate has been officially terminated. Having been a hostile and aggressive force directly involved in fighting the rebels, however, it remains unclear whether SADC troops will be allowed to withdraw with their armaments once the phased withdraw finally starts. The South African Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Defence will schedule an urgent meeting with Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga to “get the envisioned phased plan of action to implement the decision by the SADC Heads of State” according to a Parliamentary Communication Services statement. They want to know “the implications of the withdrawal in the context of the soldiers that will remain part of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) and the assessment of the security risk thereof.” The meeting envisaged will also provide details of how the SANDF plans to ensure the safe return of SANDF prime mission equipment given the “volatile and unpredictable dynamics” in eastern DR Congo. The Parliamentary Communication Services statement said the termination of the SADC mission should not be viewed as “complete abandonment of the DRC but as a refocus on using other diplomatic options to achieve the objective of peace and stability”. Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is one of the partners in South Africa’s government of national unity, has welcomed the termination of the SAMIDRC saying AFC/M23 has already demonstrated its dominance in the region. “The SADC’s acknowledgment of this reality and the subsequent decision to end the mission is a necessary step, but it raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of the mission itself,” said the DA’s spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans, Chris Hattingh. Hattingh said the SADC decision was a step in the right direction after the dire conditions the soldiers have been enduring. “The DA has long advocated for the withdrawal of troops, especially following the intense battles between 23 and 25 January, after which South African soldiers were left surrounded by M23 rebels with no logistical support for 48 days. In this time, they were deprived of food, medical supplies, and were forced to rely on the goodwill of M23 for survival,” said Hattingh. He noted that the decision to withdraw, while welcomed, will be complicated. “We call on Minister Motshekga to ensure that significant amounts of combat equipment, which could fall into the hands of M23 rebels, are not left behind. The withdrawal must be executed carefully, ensuring that no sensitive equipment is left exposed to our adversaries.” Hattingh also criticised the “painful process” of repatriating fallen soldiers. “It took 117 days for our soldiers’ bodies to be returned to Pretoria, while critically wounded soldiers required 31 days of waiting before receiving the necessary treatment at 1 Military Hospital. This delay is unacceptable and highlights the logistical and humanitarian shortcomings of the mission,” he said. “The lessons learned from this DRC deployment must be fully recorded and reflected on. We cannot let this happen again.” President Cyril Ramaphosa this week said, “the decision to finally withdraw from the eastern DRC by the three troop contributing countries is also based on the fact that the ceasefire that we have sought to install in that place is now being embraced.” African Union Chairperson and Angolan President, João Lourenço, is leading negotiations to find lasting peace in DR Congo.

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South African lawmakers welcome SADC decision to withdraw troops from DR Congo