SADC troops, Congolese army revive heavy attacks against M23

Author: Josephine Kalembe

• 2024-01-14 05:30:00

Some of the SADC troops deployed in eastern DRC to fight M23 rebels.

Since December 2023, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) started deploying a Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), purportedly to assist the Congolese government in restoring peace and security in the eastern part of the country.

Commenting on the deployment, Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula said that, “the main objective of the SADC force is defeating the M23 rebellion.”

Related: SADC risks supporting genocidal agenda in DRC

To date, there had been no word from the SADC or the three SAMIDRC countries – Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa – on what the military component of the mission will be. However, the situation has changed and the southern African bloc’s forces have started their hefty mission in fighting the M23 rebels.

According to a confidential document from the SADC secretariat, the number of SAMIDRC troops deployed to DRC is 580, contrary to the 200 initially reported. The document further indicates that the General Headquarters of SAMIDRC are located in Keshero, Goma, the former military base of the East African Community Regional Force, which had been occupied by a contingent of Kenyan troops.

 “At SAMIDRC headquarters 244 Malawians and 102 South Africans were deployed there, while 170 elements and special force military elements from Botswana, Angola, South Africa and Tanzania were stationed at Goma Airport.”

“Additionally, more than 50 South Africans have been deployed to Sake in Masisi Territory, and are residing with FARDC elements. All the deployments were in effect by January 10,” adds part of the document.

After the SAMIDRC deployments in Sake and Masisi, several media reports indicated that the FARDC coalition with FDLR, Wazalendo, and Burundian soldiers, bombed the M23 rebels in Sake and Masisi, on January 12, which resulted in the death of civilians.

The deployment of South African forces to Sake, an area where chaos is being sowed by the Congolese army, shows that SADC is not in DRC looking for peace, but taking part in escalating instability and violence.

The Southern regional bloc had claimed that it would work with the Congolese army to combat all negative armed groups in eastern DRC.

However, under the banner of the Congolese national army, the SADC force’s primary mission has shifted to attacking the M23 rebels only, completely disregarding the other armed groups exceeding 260, operating in eastern DRC, and committing atrocities against civilians daily.

Meanwhile, as the security crisis escalates, the UN Mission in DRC, MONUSCO, decided to pledge support to SAMIDRC.

According to local sources, a Tanzanian contingent under SAMIDRC is being illegally accommodated by their fellow nationals serving as UN peacekeepers, at a UN military base, the “Institut Technique Industrielle de Goma (ITIG).

MONUSCO leadership purposely omitted to report to the UN Headquarters the presence of the Tanzanian contingent under SAMIDRC that they are accommodating.

While working under the banner of MONUSCO and FARDC, the SADC troops will not bring peace in volatile DRC. They risk watching idly as atrocities targeting civilians are committed, as has been the case for the past three decades.