The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced an immediate withdrawal of its forces from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following devastating military losses. The decision, reached during an emergency summit in Harare on January 31, 2025, marks the collapse of SADC’s intervention, which has been widely criticized for its flawed objectives and moral contradictions.
From the outset, SADC’s deployment aligned itself with a regime that has systematically persecuted a section of its own population. Instead of acting as a neutral force for stability, SADC troops—alongside white mercenaries from Western countries such as Romania, France, and Belarus—found themselves fighting on behalf of the Congolese government, which has long waged war against its own Rwandophone citizens. What was meant to be a mission of regional solidarity instead turned into an operation of oppression, reinforcing the suffering of a marginalized people.
The decisive blow came with the twin defeats in Sake and Goma. In Sake, SADC and FARDC forces, backed by mercenaries, were overwhelmed by M23’s superior strategy and firepower. The fall of Goma soon followed, delivering a humiliating end to Kinshasa’s war efforts. Despite being a city of over two million people, M23’s capture of Goma was executed with remarkable precision—only 100 people were killed, including soldiers, and fewer than 1,000 were injured, with casualties largely among combatants. The minimal collateral damage in such a major military operation underscored M23’s strength, discipline, and strategic superiority.
During the height of the fighting, essential services such as water, electricity, and communication networks had collapsed, forcing thousands to flee. However, with M23 now in control, stability has been restored. Refugees who had sought shelter in neighboring countries are returning, including those who had fled as far back as 30 years ago. Internally displaced people are moving back to their homes. Markets are reopening, services are being reestablished, and normal life is resuming in areas once devastated by the conflict. The entire eastern DRC is now under relief, free from the chaos that had plagued it for decades.
The emergency summit, chaired by Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was attended by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and other regional leaders. Confronted with the reality of an unwinnable war, SADC leaders ordered the immediate withdrawal of all remaining forces, called for an urgent joint summit with the East African Community, and mandated diplomatic engagement to pursue a new ceasefire.
With this withdrawal, SADC’s intervention in eastern DRC has collapsed in disgrace. What was framed as a peacekeeping mission has instead ended in failure, forcing the regional bloc to shift its focus to the Luanda and Nairobi processes in a desperate attempt to salvage a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
In addition to the immediate withdrawal of forces, the summit’s resolutions included a call for an urgent joint summit with the East African Community to address the escalating crisis. SADC leaders also mandated diplomatic engagement with all parties involved to negotiate a new ceasefire agreement.
Notably, the summit accepted Madagascar’s offer to provide medical support for the casualties sustained during the conflict. These resolutions reflect SADC’s recognition of the need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to restore peace and stability in the eastern DRC.
