A South African soldier, part of the SADC mission for eastern Congo, waits for the ceremony to repatriate the two bodies of South African soldiers killed in the war between M23 rebels and the Congolese army in Goma on February 20, 2024.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) force in eastern Congo is vowing to crush the M23 rebels, who say they have taken control of the city of Goma.
The SADC mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, SamiDRC, last week lost at least nine South African troops to the invaders and is bracing to drive the Rwanda-backed rebels out of the city.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the SADC chairperson, said the regional body will assume “full responsibility and take action to deal with the offensive of the M23 rebels.”
“The chairman condemns, unreservedly, the cowardly attacks on the UN and SADC peacekeepers that have resulted in some of them paying the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of peace in the eastern DRC,” said a statement from Mnangagwa’s office on Monday.
“The chairman of SADC points out that SADC will assume its full responsibility and take action to deal with the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC. Those responsible for the situation should be held accountable.”
The warning comes as key regional leaders continue to call for a ceasefire.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday had a telephone call with Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, with whom he discussed cessation of the violence.
“The two heads of State have agreed on the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict,” said a dispatch from the presidency in Pretoria.
By Tuesday morning, there were signs that a ceasefire could be reached, following pleas from leaders including Kenya’s President William Ruto, Angola’s Joao Lourenco and African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The call by President Ramaphosa followed the death of nine South African troops on January 22 when the M23, clashing with the Congolese army and its allied militias attacked one of the bases manned by SamiDRC.
In an earlier statement, the SADC Secretariat said the M23 had attacked the SamiDRC in Goma before they were repelled.
It accused the rebel group of contravening the Nairobi Peace Process and the ceasefire brokered through the Luanda Process by Angolan President Lourenco. Both processes, endorsed by the African Union, have stalled as the parties accuse each other of reneging on ceasefire agreements.
“SADC unequivocally condemns this act of aggression by the M23 operating in the eastern DRC adding that such actions undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity and peace and security of the DRC and the SADC region,” the regional bloc said.
“The pursuit of territorial expansion by M23 only exacerbates the already existing dire humanitarian and security situation in the eastern DRC, which has left thousands of people dead and forced millions in North Kivu, particularly women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities to flee their homes.”
SamiDRC was first deployed on December 15, 2023 to support the DRC army to fight resurgent armed groups in the eastern part of the country. It replaced the East African Community Regional Force, EACRF, which Kinshasa accused of sitting on their hands as M23 expanded territory.
But it seems SamiDRC has faced the same problem: Not knowing which enemy to beat down first in an area dominated by more than 120 armed groups, and controlled mostly externally.
The regional force comprises troops from Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and elements of the Congolese army.
SADC’s Mutual Defence Pact (2003), which motivated the setting up of the SamiDRC emphasises that: “any armed attack perpetrated against one of the member states parties shall be considered a threat to regional peace security and shall be met with immediate collective action.”
Critics say SamiDRC’s capacity to eliminate the armed groups in the eastern DRC is constrained by lack of resources.
SADC member states contribute to the budget for the mission. The African Union Commission provides logistical and financial support to the mission.
