As part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit, which is being held in Luanda, Angola, heads of state of member countries will meet to discuss the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). One of the key points of this meeting will be the establishment of a joint military force to fight against the M23 rebellion, which has been raging in the region for several years.
This summit is of particular importance, because it will make it possible to define the concrete modalities for the deployment of the SADC force, which has been called SAMIDRC. The details of this deployment were discussed in advance during meetings between the chiefs of staff and the ministers of the countries concerned. Although the exact number of soldiers who will be mobilized remains confidential, it has been announced that troops from at least three countries – South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania – will participate in this operation.
The deployment of the SADC force must be done quickly so as not to leave a security vacuum after the departure of soldiers from the East African Community (EAC), scheduled for December. In addition, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has also begun its gradual withdrawal from the region. In this context, fighting has resumed in recent weeks and the Congolese army has managed to repel several attacks by the M23 rebel group.
It is interesting to note that the SADC force will have to coexist with Burundian soldiers in the North Kivu province. Indeed, under a bilateral cooperation agreement, the latter will remain in the region even after the withdrawal of the EAC.
This SADC summit therefore marks a decisive step in the resolution of the conflict in eastern DRC. The establishment of the SADC force, replacing the EAC soldiers, will help maintain security in the region and effectively fight against the M23 rebel group. However, many challenges remain and cooperation between different actors will be essential to achieve a lasting solution.
In conclusion, this SADC summit in Luanda is a crucial opportunity for heads of state to discuss the situation in eastern DRC and establish a joint military force to fight the M23. The deployment of this force must be done quickly in order to guarantee security in the region after the departure of the EAC troops. Cooperation between SADC member countries and the mobilization of resources will be essential to achieve a peaceful resolution to this conflict which has lasted too long.