Rwanda has agreed to allow troops deployed by the Southern Africa bloc to fight rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to evacuate from the rebel-held city of Goma through its territory to Tanzania, three diplomatic sources said on Friday.

The 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) said in mid-March it had terminated the mandate and would begin a phased withdrawal of its force, known as SAMIDRC, from Congo.

The three diplomats, with knowledge of the ongoing talks between Rwanda and SADC, confirmed that Rwanda had accepted a request for the force’s troops to pass through the country by land.

Two of the diplomats added that they have been informed that the regional force’s weapons will be sealed for security reasons but will leave Rwandan territory with the troops.

There was no immediate response from SADC nor from spokespeople for the Congolese and Rwandan governments when asked for comment.

General Rudzani Maphwanya, the head of the South African National Defence Force, said on South African Broadcasting Corporation television on Thursday that a technical team was in Tanzania working on the finer details of their troop withdrawal.

SAMIDRC was sent to assist Kinshasa’s fight against rebel groups in Congo’s war-ravaged eastern borderlands in December 2023.

M23 have seized east Congo’s two biggest cities since January in an escalation of a long-running conflict rooted in the spillover into Congo of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of Congo’s vast mineral resources.

Reuters

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The co-chairpersons of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Malusi Gigaba and Phiroane Phala, have welcomed the decision to terminate the Southern African Development Community’s mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They emphasised that this move should not be seen as an abandonment of DRC, but rather as a strategic shift toward diplomatic solutions aimed at fostering lasting peace and stability in the region.

The committee has called for sustained diplomatic interventions to ensure that progress made in the DRC is not lost and that efforts to promote security and development continue.

“The recommitment by SADC Heads of States to support other interventions aimed at bringing lasting peace and security in the DRC reaffirms our belief that dialogue should be placed at the centre of efforts to resolve the DRC conflict,” said Gigaba.

“Achieving peace and stability in the eastern DRC is a precondition for economic growth and development of not only the DRC, but for the region.”

The chairpersons are pleased that SADC will collaborate with East African Community to unify the Luanda and Nairobi processes for DRC peace efforts.

Additionally, the committee said that it acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the phased withdrawal of SANDF troops from SAMIDRC. It has urged for an urgent meeting with Defence Minister Angie Motshekga  to clarify the details of the withdrawal plan.

“We will schedule an urgent meeting to get the envisioned phased plan of action to implement the decision by Heads of State.

“Also, this meeting must address the implication of the withdrawal in the context of the soldiers that will remain part of the MONUSCO and the assessment of the security risk thereof,” Phala said.

The planned meeting will also outline how the SANDF intends to safely retrieve its Prime Mission Equipment, considering the volatile and unpredictable situation in eastern DRC.

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South African political parties have welcomed the announcement that troops serving in the Southern African Development Community peacekeeping mission in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo will return home.

An extraordinary summit of heads of state of SADC has terminated its mission in DRC (SAMIDRC) and instructed the beginning of the withdrawal of its troops which includes South African, Malawian and Tanzanian soldiers.

The meeting, which was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa, took the decision following escalation of the conflict and the rebel group M23 capturing Goma and Bukavu, which led to the deterioration of security in the eastern DRC.

The leaders noted in a communiqué following the meeting that the capturing of two cities led to the blockage of the main supply routes, making it difficult for humanitarian aid to flow.

“Summit reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to continue supporting the DRC in its pursuit of safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as sustainable peace, security and development.

“Summit reiterated the need for a political and diplomatic solution with all parties including state, non-state parties, military and non-military in the eastern DRC for the restoration of peace, security and tranquillity in the country,” it said.

It added that the withdrawal of the troops would be done in phases, but the details were not provided.

The Economic Freedom Fighters welcomed the decision to withdraw the troops, saying the move was long overdue and confirmed its consistent view that the SA National Defence Force was ill-equipped for the deployment and the mission was unsustainable.

The red berets said SAMIDRC failed to achieve its objectives and after the capture of the two cities by the M23 rebels with the backing of Rwanda, rather than stabilising the region, the mission found itself increasingly in a vulnerable position and unable to counter the growing influence of the rebels.

“The EFF remains committed to our position that South Africa should only participate in peacekeeping missions where there is a clear strategic objective, proper logistical planning and adequate resources to support our soldiers.

“We call on SADC, EAC and the African Union to intensify diplomatic efforts and hold all parties accountable, ensuring that the people of the DRC can finally see an end to this decades-long conflict,” the party said in a statement.

The DA, in welcoming the withdrawal, cautioned against the way the process would unfold and warned that combat equipment should not fall into the hands of the rebels.

The party said in a statement that the withdrawal must be executed carefully since the rebels has exhibited their dominance in the region and showcased their power to the entire world.

“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,” it said in a statement.

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