The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has reached an agreement with M23 rebels to facilitate the withdrawal of SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) troops and equipment from Goma.
A communique was signed in Goma by Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces Major General Ibrahim Mhona on behalf of the chairperson of the SADC, and Major General Sultani Makenga, Military Coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve Congo/Mouvement du 23 Mars (AFC/M23).
The agreement was dated Friday 28 March and covers outcomes “of the engagement between the chief of defence forces of the Southern African Development Community and leadership of Alliance Fleuve Congo/Mouvement du 23 Mars.”
The meeting took place at the Serena Hotel in Goma and was apparently attended by General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of the SA National Defence Force; Lieutenant General Geoffrey Zyeele, Zambian Army Commander; Major General Saiford Kalisha, Malawi Defence Force representative; Professor Kula Theletsane, Director: Organ on Politics Defence and Security Affairs at the SADC; and Bahati Musanga Erasto, Governor of North Kivu Province, in addition to Mhona and Makenga.
“The meeting noted commitments from both parties on the cessation of hostilities cease fire and unconditional withdrawal of SAMIDRC troops,” according to the communique. The meeting also agreed that the AFC/M23 will facilitate the immediate withdrawal of SAMIDRC troops with their weapons and equipment, leaving behind all the DRC government (FARDC) weapons and equipment in their possession.
The AFC/M23 will coordinate SAMIDRC freedom of movement in preparation for withdrawal. Both parties will assess the status of Goma International Airport in readiness for reopening, with the SADC to assist in the repair of the airport to facilitate the SAMIDRC withdrawal.
“The meeting expressed gratitude to the SADC and the AFC/M23 leadership for the efforts to make the engagement possible towards a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict. The meeting expressed its appreciation to both parties towards the implementation of the agreed commitments,” the communique concluded.
A follow-up meeting between the SADC and AFC/M23 is planned in the future.
Video and photos circulated online show SADC and AFC/M23 commanders meeting, and SAMIDRC soldiers celebrating the signing of the agreement.
South African National Defence Union (Sandu) National Secretary Pikkie Greeff said the union welcomes the peace agreement reached between the SADC-led Chiefs of Defence Forces, including the Chief of the SANDF.
“It is with cautious optimism that Sandu notes the agreement, reached with, among others, the M23 group, includes provisions for the safe passage and return of SANDF troops who have been surrounded and confined to their bases for the past 63 days. The agreement also includes the return of SANDF equipment to South Africa.”
Greeff noted that there remains a significant gap between the signing of an agreement and its full execution. “Sandu hopes and trusts that a genuine measure of goodwill exists on all sides to ensure the safe return of our SANDF members.”
African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier said it must be a relief for the troops in the DRC given the uncertainty they faced.
“Of course, once this is over serious questions still need to be asked about the decision-making process,” Olivier said, as this resulted in an under-resourced, under-equipped, and poorly tactically positioned force that was deployed by the SADC without a plan B. “Reform is needed.”
Two weeks ago, the SADC announced its decision to withdraw the SAMIDRC force from the eastern DRC, opting for a phased withdrawal.
Leaders from the 16-nation SADC have lost at least a dozen soldiers in the eastern DRC since January of this year. Locally, 14 members of the South African National Defence Force lost their lives, and many others sustained injuries as fighting in the Goma region intensified between 23 and 27 January.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has said the SADC’s decision to withdraw SAMIDRC should not be interpreted as a sign of defeat or abandonment of peace efforts. “However, it should be seen as a confidence-building measure to ensure peace and stability in the eastern DRC,” the Deputy President told the Members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament, Cape Town, on Thursday.
Mashatile told Members of the NCOP that South Africa remains committed and supportive to ongoing peacekeeping efforts on the continent in line with the country’s foreign policy vision of a “prosperous and peaceful continent”.
Deployed in December 2023, SAMIDRC comprises troops from Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania, tasked with assisting the DRC armed forces in combating armed groups in the country’s eastern region.
Since its resurgence in late 2021, the M23 has captured territory in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, including the city of Goma. On Thursday, Bintou Keita, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative in the DRC, told the UN Security Council that the M23 has continued its westward offensive, reaching Walikale in North Kivu, the farthest west it has advanced since its rapid territorial gains in January. The rebels seized the town a week earlier, pushing to within 400 kilometres of Kisangani, the country’s fourth-largest city.
