SADC troops begin withdrawal from Eastern DRC via Rwanda

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) has officially ended, following the withdrawal of troops from North Kivu via Rwanda.

Images and videos of the departing troops circulated online early Tuesday, confirming the beginning of the drawdown.

SAMIDRC was deployed on December 15, 2023, to support the DRC government in restoring peace and stability in the eastern region, following the withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

Unlike its predecessor, the mission adopted a more aggressive strategy, directly engaging militant groups operating in the area.

Under the terms of its agreement with the DRC, SADC committed to deploying a 5,000-strong contingent from its member states to “intervene and provide regional support in the DRC to neutralise negative forces and armed groups in eastern DRC and restore peace and security in the country.”

SAMIDRC was expected to draw on the experience of the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), a 6,000-strong force from Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa, which had previously stabilised the region and halted mass atrocities in 2013.

The FIB played a pivotal role in dislodging the M23 rebel group that year, leading to nearly a decade of relative quiet.

South African, Tanzanian and Malawian troops began arriving in Sake and surrounding areas near Goma in December 2023. They continued to engage in combat operations even after M23 forces captured Goma in January, leaving SAMIDRC troops vulnerable and outmanoeuvred.

The mission suffered significant losses in both personnel and equipment and failed to reclaim areas previously secured by the EACRF.

Officials believe the mission was inadequately prepared to confront a now emboldened and better-armed M23 — an assertion the South African Defence Minister dismissed, insisting that adequate pre-deployment training had been conducted.

In February, an extraordinary summit of SADC Heads of State convened to assess the mission’s progress. The summit concluded that SAMIDRC had not met its mandate to restore peace or safeguard the region’s territorial integrity.

A month later, SADC resolved to withdraw its forces, acknowledging that the conflict in eastern DRC could not be resolved through military means alone.

To ensure a safe exit, a ceasefire was negotiated between SAMIDRC and the M23. The two parties agreed to coordinate the withdrawal, with the M23 overseeing the movement of SADC troops out of the region.

Other Topics To Read

• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Rwanda
• DRC
• north kivu
• SADC
• M23 rebel group
• SAMIDRC
• SADC troops begin withdrawal from Eastern DRC via Rwanda
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