By Patriot Corps
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has strongly condemned the recent attacks by the M23 armed group and Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) on government forces, peacekeepers, and civilians in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a statement issued after an extraordinary summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe, on January 31, 2025, SADC leaders expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the region.
The summit, chaired by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, brought together heads of state and government from SADC member countries, including South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and the DRC’s President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. Other leaders in attendance included Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi, Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo, and Mozambique’s newly elected President Daniel Francisco Chapo.
The leaders noted with concern the recent attacks by the M23 armed group and RDF on the Government Forces of the DRC, the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), and the civilian population in various areas of North Kivu. The summit expressed its deepest condolences to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republics of Malawi and South Africa, and the United Republic of Tanzania for the deceased soldiers who lost their lives during the recent attacks in Sake, Eastern DRC, whilst serving under the SAMIDRC. The leaders also wished those injured a speedy recovery.
The summit condemned in the strongest terms the attacks on the SAMIDRC troops by the M23 operating in the Eastern DRC, as such actions violated the ceasefire that was brokered through the Luanda Process on 30 July 2024 and undermined peace and security in the DRC and the SADC region. The leaders recalled their decision of May 2023 to deploy a peacekeeping mission to the DRC in order to support its desire for peace and security and defend its territorial integrity.
The summit reiterated its support to the diplomatic efforts to secure a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Eastern DRC through the Luanda Process, led by Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, and the Nairobi Process, led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The leaders called for an immediate joint summit with the East African Community (EAC) to discuss the way forward on the security situation in the DRC, as proposed by the 24th Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of the EAC held on 29th January 2025.
The summit mandated the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation to engage all state and non-state parties to the conflict on a ceasefire process to protect lives and facilitate a smooth flow of humanitarian support to people and communities affected by the armed conflict. The leaders also called for the immediate dispatch of ministers of defence, chiefs of defence, and troop-contributing countries to the DRC to ensure the safety of peacekeepers and facilitate the repatriation of deceased and injured soldiers.
The summit reaffirmed SADC’s solidarity with the DRC and pledged continued support to help the country address its security challenges. The leaders commended the Republic of Madagascar for pledging medical support to the injured and displaced people in the theatre of operation in the Eastern DRC. The summit congratulated President Daniel Francisco Chapo on his election as President of the Republic of Mozambique and welcomed his participation in the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government.
The leaders acknowledged the expression of gratitude from President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, for SADC’s continued support to address the security challenges facing the DRC. The summit commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Chairperson of the SADC Organ, for her leadership, commitment, and guidance, and for spearheading regional peace and security matters in the SADC region.
Finally, the summit thanked the Chairperson of SADC, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, for convening the extraordinary summit and for his leadership in promoting regional cooperation towards the attainment of peace, stability, and development in the SADC region.