DR Congo: SADC troops leaving the country travel through Rwanda

The SADC mission members started leaving the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo via Rwanda on Tuesday, April 29.

According to sources who spoke to The New Times, at least 57 troops and civilian trucks loaded with military gear left La Corniche Border Post in Rubavu District at approximately 11 a.m., bound for the Rusumo border with Tanzania.

There were nine Tanzanians, sixteen Malawians, and thirty-two South Africans in the original group.

They had the Rwanda Defense Force with them.

According to the sources, they will go to Chato in Tanzania from Rusumo.

The AFC/M23 rebels were being fought in North Kivu province by a Congolese government coalition that included SADC forces.

Following a request from SADC to the Rwandan government in mid-April to assist their departure, the troops are now passing through Rwanda from the rebel-controlled region.

“Convoys of [SADC] troops and equipment are withdrawing from eastern DR Congo through Rwanda to Tanzania, and Rwanda is providing safe passage and an escort,” stated Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on X.

“The presence of [SADC} troops was always a complicating factor in the conflict, and today’s start of withdrawal marks a positive step in support of the ongoing peace process,” he said.

The AFC/M23 rebels’ takeover of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in January has resulted in casualties for the Congolese government alliance, which includes the murderous militia FDLR, Burundian forces, and Wazalendo militias.

The SADC forces backed Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s proposal to attack Rwanda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in February, citing intelligence and findings from Goma following the M23 rebels’ takeover of the city.

The South Africa-led SADC forces agreed to withdraw from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on March 28 after the rebels agreed to let the SADC mission leave the country’s eastern region with its weapons and equipment.

The SADC forces’ exit coincides with a surge in peace efforts, as the Congolese government and rebels met and reached an agreement on a ceasefire during their first direct talks.

After Qatar-mediated peace talks in Doha that started on April 10, the two parties jointly declared on April 23 that they had agreed to seek a peaceful settlement to the dispute.

Through US government mediation, Rwanda and DR Congo, whose diplomatic ties suffered throughout the conflict, signed a significant deal on April 25 to settle the lingering difficulties.

For years, Rwanda has voiced concerns regarding the DR Congo’s cooperation with the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned organization established by those responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. DR Congo accused Rwanda of aiding the M23 rebels; Rwanda denies the accusations, stating that it has implemented defensive measures to keep the security threats from becoming a reality.