SANF 24 no 45 by Clarkson Mambo
Leaders from southern Africa have extended by one year the mandate of a regional force deployed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as part of continuing efforts to end a long-running conflict and consolidate peace and security in the region.
Heads of State and Government from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) made the decision during an extra-ordinary summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe on 20 November to discuss the peace and security situation in the region.
They “expressed concern at the continued deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation” in the DRC, which has been perpetuated by activities of foreign-backed rebel groups for over three decades.
“Summit reiterated the regional commitment expressed in the SADC Mutual Defence Pact that, ‘an armed attack against one shall be deemed a threat to regional peace and security,’ and commended Member States for demonstrating the spirit of collective regional solidarity through continued contribution and support to the SAMIDRC,” read a communique released at the end of the summit.
The conflict has been a source of instability and has displaced more than 6.9 million people, according to the United Nations (UN).
SADC views peace and security as a vital pillar of the regional integration and socio-economic development agenda.
To bring a permanent solution to the instability and address the situation, SADC deployed a regional military force, known as the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo or SAMIDRC on a one-year mandate on 15 December 2023.
Besides extending the tenure, the extraordinary summit committed to providing financial and personnel support for SAMIDRC as a means for the region to fully take ownership of its peace and security interests.
This comes against the backdrop of commitments by the UN and the African Union (AU) to provide additional funding for SAMIDRC, efforts which the regional leaders lauded.
“The decision we took to extend the SAMIDRC mandate for an additional year as well as the provision of requisite financial and personnel resources will go a long way towards ensuring that we achieve the desired results,” said SADC Chairperson, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.
The summit commended the SAMIDRC leadership and all personnel deployed to the mission for their “sacrifices, dedication and commitment” towards peace, stability and security in eastern DRC.
At the same time, the leaders condemned the “persistent violations”, by rebel groups, of the ceasefire accord signed between the DRC and Rwanda on 4 August 2024 and called on all parties to fully adhere to their obligations to preserve peace and security in the region.
The deal, brokered by Angolan President, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, is one of the outcomes of joint diplomatic efforts being undertaken at the UN and African Union to silence the guns.
Lourenço is the AU’s Champion for Peace and leads what is known as the Luanda Process, which is aimed at ending hostilities between the DRC and neighbouring Rwanda. The government of DRC accuses Kigali of fuelling the instability in the country by continuing to support the March 23 Movement or M23 rebels, a claim Rwanda denies.
Continued support for the armed rebel groups was in violation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement (LCA) signed in July 1999 by the government of DRC and its allies – Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe – with Rwanda and Uganda, which had invaded eastern DRC at the time.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Rwanda and Uganda were to stop supporting rebels operating in eastern DRC, particularly the M23.
SADC Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi said every effort should be made to ensure that the ceasefire agreement is “nurtured and sustained.”
“We had hoped that the ceasefire would create an opportunity for progress, enable enhanced solution-focused dialogue between the parties, and facilitate a seamless flow of humanitarian support to those who are at the receiving end of the armed conflict,” he said.
Given the resource constraints and the critical need to sustain the operational effectiveness of SAMIDRC and consolidation of the gains so far made, Magosi called on regional leaders to prioritise dialogue as the ultimate solution to the endless conflict.
“I believe that we can create a safe and enabling space for dialogue and peace to thrive. We cannot buy peace, I believe; it is very costly! We cannot achieve peace and stability by military interventions alone,” he said.
The role of SAMIDRC has become more important as a UN peace keeping force – the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) – which deployed in November 1999, withdraws from eastern DRC at the end of this year.
The withdrawal of the over 16,000 UN military personnel, follows an agreement signed between the government of the DRC and the UN in November 2023.
The departure of the peace keeping force in preference of a SAMIDRC, which has an offensive mandate, follows the conviction of the DRC that the presence of MONUSCO for over two decades had failed to be a deterrent for the armed groups which have continued to attack civilians and take over territory at various intervals.
The extraordinary summit was preceded by a meeting of the SADC Organ Troika, which is mandated to provide a foundation of peace and stability in the region as a prerequisite for the achievement of SADC objectives of socio-economic development, poverty eradication and regional integration espoused in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030 and the SADC Vision 2050.
Chairperson of the Organ Troika, President Samia Suluhu-Hassan of United Republic of Tanzania will soon meet with President Lourenço to discuss strategies on sustaining the recent ceasefire agreement and enhancing relations between the DRC and Rwanda. sardc.net
