The heads of state of the member countries of the Southern African Community, SADC, are expected this Saturday, November 4, 2023 in Angola. A summit in Luanda to discuss in particular the situation in the east of the DRC. On the agenda: the establishment of the region’s military force expected in the area to fight against the M23 rebellion and which has been under discussion since May 8. Objective: to replace soldiers from the East African community whose mandate expires on December 8 and whom the Congolese authorities do not intend to extend.
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President Tshisekedi is expected this Saturday in Luanda where several members of the Congolese delegation have already arrived, including several ministers. The major challenge of this meeting is to set in stone the terms of the deployment of the SADC force, called SAMIDRC.
“ We will have a precise plan after this meeting », confirms a member of the team. Meetings at different levels, chiefs of staff, ministers, have taken place in recent days to refine the details. Another source warns: there will however be no announcement on the number of soldiers expected – this is information classified as defense secret – but they will come from at least three countries: South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania, who have already announced their intention to be a troop contributing country.
A deployment which will have to accelerate so as not to leave a security vacuum with the departure of the EAC soldiers (East African Community) planned for the month of December and start of gradual withdrawal of MONUSCO. Especially since the fighting has resumed in recent weeks. The Congolese army says it has repelled M23 attacks.
Read alsoDRC: a joint operation by MONUSCO and the Congolese army launched to counter the M23
This SADC force should, however, coexist in North Kivu with Burundian elements. In fact, the latter, under a bilateral cooperation agreement, are required to remain in the region even after the withdrawal of the EAC.