The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has ordered an end to its military mission in the DRC because its mandate has become “untenable”, according to details of an extraordinary virtual summit held on Thursday.
SADC summit also ordered a phased withdrawal of its troops from war-torn DRC.
The AFC/M23 rebels have trapped between 1,000 and 2,000 members of SAMIDRC as virtual prisoners of war in and around Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
The virtual summit called for a political and diplomatic solution to the current crisis in DRC which has dragged on for the past three years.
SADC also reiterated its support for regional peace initiatives, including the merger of the Luanda and Nairobi processes, and welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2773 in support of a lasting solution to the crisis.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, currently head of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security Cooperation, was praised for her role in managing the regional security situation.
President Félix Tshisekedi also attended the summit. Recently he expressed readiness to negotiate with the AFC/M23 rebel forces.
The AFC/M23 rebel forces currently expanding their offensive against DRC troops also control the cities of Goma and Bukavu.
Significantly, the technical experts observed that the “SAMIDRC mandate is in a dilemma and untenable following the latest developments”.
Several members of the force were killed fighting alongside the DRC military against AFC/M23 rebels near the provincial capital Goma and the nearby town of Sake between 23 and 27 January.
South Africa lost 14 soldiers, most of whom were in SAMIDRC, although some were deployed in the UN peacekeeping mission Monusco. Malawi lost three soldiers and Tanzania one, all from SAMIDRC.
Last month, SA deployed additional troops and equipment to Lubumbashi, about 1,000km south of Goma, though it is not clear what their mandate is. It could be to maintain an official SAMIDRC presence even after the beleaguered troops around Goma are withdrawn.