DRC Government Seeks SADC Support as Relationship with EAC Forces Sour in the East

By Maniraguha Ferdinand

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has approved the deployment of its forces to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to address the ongoing armed conflicts in the region.

The decision was made on Monday, May 8th, following the Extra-Ordinary Summit of Organ Troika held in Windhoek, Namibia.

The summit communique announced the approval of the deployment of a SADC Force as a regional response to support the DRC in restoring peace and security in the Eastern DRC, within the framework of the SADC Standby Force.

The Windhoek summit followed a regional summit in Bujumbura on May 6th, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among the participants.

The deployment of the SADC standby forces (EACRF) comes after a strained relationship between the DRC government and the East African Standby Forces, which have been deployed in Eastern Congo since November 2022.

The DRC government has accused EACRF of failing to assist its army (FARDC) in fighting armed groups especially M23, while EAC has argued that the fighting goes beyond their mandate.

After the Windhoek summit, DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told the media that they welcome the deployment of SADC forces, as the EACRF has made little progress.

"We have not seen enough progress from the East African Forces," he said.

The exact timeline for the SADC deployment and funding for its activities is yet to be communicated.

Ten years ago, SADC forces fought the M23 rebels and chased them out of Goma, a key town in Eastern Congo, leading to the signing of agreements between the government and the rebels. However, M23 has accused the DRC of failing to honor its commitments.

Last month, Kenyan Major General Jeff Nyagah, the EACRF boss, resigned, accusing the DRC of being hostile and an obstacle to his forces. He resigned a month after his force's mandate expired, and the Congolese government did not renew it.

It is said that the government wants to revise the terms and conditions of the mandate, making it offensive rather than peacekeeping.

Marc Hoogsteyns, a veteran journalist who has covered the Great Lakes region, warned of further deterioration of security in Eastern Congo once SADC is deployed.

"The SADC decision to send troops to the Kivu's will, nearly without any doubt, only put more oil and fuel on the fire. They are making a big tactical and strategic mistake, as my sources on the spot tell me," he tweeted.

On the other hand, some Congolese politicians advise their government to chase out the EACRF before admitting SADC forces, which they believe will be more productive.

"If SADC enters while EAC is still there, it will create more disorder. For the SADC mission to be successful, EAC must leave immediately. We had warned them (the government) before to avoid dealing with EAC while SADC is there," said Congolese Senator Muyumba Francine.

Conflicts in Eastern Congo are still ongoing as the country prepares to go to presidential elections at the end of the year.

The M23 rebel group, which has been fighting government forces since 2022, has vowed to continue its struggle if the government fails to allow dialogue.