By CHIMPREPORTS
Hundreds of South African soldiers have arrived in eastern Congo as part of the deployment of military forces by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to fight M23 rebels.
ChimpReports has learned that over 200 South African soldiers arrived at Goma Airport in North Kivu on December 27, 2023.
Other countries expected to send troops to DRC include Malawi and Tanzania.
Officials say SADC intends to deploy at least 7,000 soldiers in DRC.
The combat forces’ mission is to fight and defeat mainly M23 rebels in a space of 12 months.
“The main objective of the SADC force is defeating the M23 rebellion,” said DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula.
The military force includes commando assault units, artillery men, logistics personnel and airmen.
SADC recently deployed heavy military equipment in eastern DRC ahead of the arrival of combat forces.
The deployment of SADC forces comes weeks after DRC President Felix Tshisekedi ordered the exit of the East African Regional Force for failing to counter the M23 rebels.
Tshisekedi is widely expected to win another five-year term in office.
Latest election results show Tshisekedi leading his rivals with a 77% of the total vote count.
SADC Deployment
In August 2023, SADC leaders meeting in Luanda, Angola, gave a green light to the deployment of a military force in Eastern Congo to restore peace and stability.
The meeting was attended by Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, DRC’s Felix Tshisekedi, Malawian leader, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and Mozambique’s Filipe Jacinto Nyusi.
Other leaders included South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, Zambian leader Hakainde Hichilema and Zimbabwe’s Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and Namibia’s Dr. Hage Gottfried Geingob.
The South African leaders said they “noted with great concern the unstable and deteriorating security situation prevailing in the Eastern DRC and reiterated strong condemnation of the upsurge of conflicts and activities of Armed Groups (IAGs) including the resurgence of M23 rebels in the DRC.”
DRC has for the past three years been battling M23 rebels in North Kivu.
While military force may be needed to defeat M23 rebels, diplomats say Tshisekedi needs to further explore diplomatic means to politically resolve the militia groups’ grievances for the region to realise stability.
In 2013, SADC’s FIB, comprising troops from Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa defeated the M23 rebels operating in DRC.
Tanzanians under former President Jakaya Kikwete provided elite forces and artillery to attack M23’s bases especially in Rumangabo while South Africa under Jacob Zuma supported the military operation with the air force.
Under attack by heavy artillery and South Africa’s warplanes, M23 rebels, including their commander Sultani Makenga, fled their strongholds to Uganda and Rwanda.
The rebels would later return to DRC during the last months of Joseph Kabila’s reign.
In 2021, M23 resumed their offensive operations against DRC forces, sparking a huge influx of Congolese refugees to neighbouring countries.
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