Africa

AU peace council approves deployment of SADC troops to Eastern DRC

Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops in a previous deployment in a photo taken on August 5, 2021. (AFP)

By Mary Wambui | Saturday, March 9, 2024

The council asked the AU Commission to gather necessary support for the force, including from the AU Peace Fund Crisis Reserve Facility.

The African Union Peace and Security Council has endorsed last year's deployment of the Southern African Regional Force to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a statement released Saturday, the council asked the AU Commission to gather necessary support for the force, including from the AU Peace Fund Crisis Reserve Facility.

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Earlier this week, Rwanda asked the African Union not to support troops from southern African countries deployed to fight armed groups in the restive eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), claiming the force would exacerbate the conflict.

"SAMIDRC, as an offensive force in coalition with these elements, cannot substitute for a political process that has been blocked by the government of DRC. Therefore, the African Union is urged not to 'authorise' or fund SAMIDRC," Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta said in a publicised letter to the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat.

SAMIDRC was deployed on December 15, last year to support the government of DRC to restore peace and stability in the Eastern DRC following the exit of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

The force was deployed to address the situation in the region which has witnessed an increase in conflicts and instability caused by the resurgence of armed groups, particularly the M23 armed group.

The council wants the AU Commission to expedite the transfer of the equipment donated to SADC, which is still at the AU Continental Logistics Base in Douala, Cameroon.

The support will go towards efforts to ensure the effective implementation of the SAMIDRC mandate.

It, however, reiterated only that there can be no sustainable military solution to the situation in eastern DRC and, in this respect, stresses the importance of the Nairobi and Luanda processes which are aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict;

"In this regard, applauds the efforts by H.E. João Manuel Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and AU Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, in mediating between the two sisterly countries through the Luanda Process," the statement said, further calling for an urgent follow-up meeting to continue the diplomatic efforts.

Additionally, it called for the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities, as well as the creation of humanitarian corridors to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance to the affected population and called for urgent cantonment and disarmament of M23, ADF, FDLR and all other armed groups active in the eastern DRC.

SAMIDRC has suffered a number of casualties since its deployment in December last year which the council paid tribute to.

The council further requested the AU Commission to work closely with SADC to devise practical modalities of AU support to SAMIDRC and to provide regular briefings, at least every quarter, to the Council on the activities of the regional force.