In the wake of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) being ended, a South African parliamentary defence oversight committee wants clarity on troop and equipment withdrawal.
Malusi Gigaba and Phiroane Phala, co-chairs of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD), will schedule an urgent meeting with Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga to “get the envisioned phased plan of action to implement the [termination] decision by [SADC] Heads of State” according to a Parliamentary Communication Services statement.
This comes in the wake of them acknowledging details of the phased withdrawal of the three-nation SAMIDRC (SADC Mission in the DRC) “remain unclear for now.” The mission mandate withdrawal was made public yesterday (Thursday, 13 March) after a virtual SADC summit.
“The chairpersons welcomed the decision, especially following the death of 14 SANDF soldiers in the DRC and the need to explore other political and diplomatic options to resolve the impasse.”
They want to know what “the implications of the withdrawal in the context of the soldiers that will remain part of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) and the assessment of the security risk thereof.”
The meeting envisaged will also provide details of how the SANDF plans to ensure the safe return of SANDF prime mission equipment (PME), given the volatile and unpredictable dynamics in the eastern DRC.
The statement further has it termination of the SADC mission should not be viewed as “complete abandonment of the DRC but as a refocus on using other diplomatic options to achieve the objective of peace and stability”.
“The recommitment by SADC Heads of State to support other interventions aimed at bringing lasting peace and security in DRC reaffirms our belief that dialogue should be placed at the centre of efforts to resolve the DRC conflict. Achieving peace and stability in eastern DRC is a precondition for economic growth and development of not only the DRC but of the region,” the co-chairs stated.
The chairpersons said they were encouraged by the reassurance that SADC will continue to work with the East African Community (EAC) to merge the Luanda and Nairobi processes to enhance peace-building in the DRC.
DA welcomes withdrawal decision
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also welcomed the SADC decision to withdraw troops from the DRC. Chris Hattingh, DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans, said “this is a step in the right direction after the dire conditions our soldiers have been enduring.”
The DA has long advocated for the withdrawal of troops, especially following the intense battles between 23 and 25 January, after which South African soldiers were left surrounded by M23 rebels with no logistical support for 48 days. “In this time, they were deprived of food, medical supplies, and were forced to rely on the goodwill of M23 for survival,” Hattingh said.
He noted that the decision to withdraw, while welcomed, will be complicated. “We call on Minister Motshekga to ensure that significant amounts of combat equipment, which could fall into the hands of M23 rebels, are not left behind. The withdrawal must be executed carefully, ensuring that no sensitive equipment is left exposed to our adversaries.”
He said the M23 has already demonstrated their dominance in the region. “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.”
Hattingh also criticised the “painful process” of repatriating fallen soldiers. “It took 117 days for our soldiers’ bodies to be returned to Pretoria, while critically wounded soldiers required 31 days of waiting before receiving the necessary treatment at 1 Military Hospital. This delay is unacceptable and highlights the logistical and humanitarian shortcomings of the mission,” he said.
“The lessons learned from this DRC deployment must be fully recorded and reflected on. We cannot let this happen again.”
Commenting on the SAMIDRC withdrawal, South African National Defence Union (Sandu) National Secretary Pikkie Greeff told the SABC that with the DRC and the M23 announcing they will engage in peace talks, “I suppose, at a certain level on a geopolitical level, one could argue that the mission was successful in the sense that it brought parties to the negotiation table. And, therefore, there’s no need for them to further stick around.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa this week said, “the decision to finally withdraw from the eastern DRC by the three troop contributing countries is also based on the fact that the ceasefire that we have sought to install in that place is now being embraced.”
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spokesperson Sinawo Tambo is reported by IOL as saying “South Africa’s military was ill-equipped for this deployment, and the mission was unsustainable.”
“The resources that were allocated to this ill-fated mission must be redirected towards strengthening our own defence capabilities, ensuring we are adequately equipped should another opportunity for peacekeeping occur,” Tambo said.
