By Lucy Adautin
Rwanda has agreed to provide safe passage for troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as they withdraw from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The confirmation came from Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, who stated that the arrangement follows a formal request by SADC to use Rwandan territory for their exit from the conflict-ridden eastern region of Congo.
In the past, Kigali has been openly critical of the SADC forces stationed in the DRC, a stance that has strained its diplomatic relations with South Africa.
SADC forces have faced significant losses in recent months amid ongoing hostilities in the region.
The multinational force, comprising troops from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania was deployed in 2023 under the SADC mandate to assist the Congolese government in stabilising a mineral-rich area long plagued by armed groups.
However, the mission was dealt a major blow earlier this year when M23 rebels, allegedly supported by Rwanda, launched a series of swift and effective offensives, capturing key towns and inflicting casualties on peacekeepers, which diminished public and political backing in contributing countries.
SADC leaders confirmed the decision to withdraw earlier this month. Their deployment formed part of a complex military landscape in the eastern DRC, already teeming with various armed actors.
These include Congolese government troops, international mercenaries, a UN peacekeeping contingent, and over 100 militias vying for control over land, political influence, and valuable natural resources.
Some groups claim to be defending their local communities, while others have been implicated in mass killings and ethnic violence.
According to United Nations experts, the M23 rebels are bolstered by around 4,000 Rwandan soldiers and have, at times, threatened to advance as far as Kinshasa, the Congolese capital, located more than 1,000 miles away.
Rwanda has consistently denied accusations made by both the Congolese government and UN investigators that it supports M23. Meanwhile, eastern DRC remains at the heart of one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with over seven million people displaced.
The SADC withdrawal follows a rapid escalation in violence, with M23 capturing Goma, the main city in eastern DRC, and seizing Bukavu, the second largest, in recent offensives.
In January, fourteen South African soldiers and at least three Malawian troops lost their lives in clashes. The United Nations subsequently evacuated several critically injured South African personnel from the conflict zone.
