Five of the sixteen member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have held discussions on the future of their troops deployed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The leaders met in a security meeting via videoconference on March 6, 2025, as more than 1,000 SADC soldiers remain stranded in military bases in North Kivu province.
These troops, stationed in United Nations bases, are under pressure from the M23 movement group, which has controlled the city of Goma and its surroundings since late January 2025.
The M23 has demanded the withdrawal of these forces, claiming that they do not contribute to peace in eastern DRC but instead exacerbate tensions. So far, the SADC has not officially responded to this demand.
Despite the situation, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has decided to repatriate his country’s troops. Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has hinted that South African forces could also be withdrawn soon.
Tanzania, which currently chairs the SADC’s military and security department, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the DRC, as emphasized by President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the meeting.
The heads of state of the SADC member countries have not made public the decisions taken at the end of this meeting. However, the office of the SADC Secretary-General has stated that these resolutions will be communicated to all member countries at an upcoming extraordinary summit.
This meeting follows a summit held in Dar es Salaam on February 8, 2025, which brought together the heads of state of the SADC and the East African Community (EAC). During that meeting, several measures were adopted to establish lasting peace in eastern DRC.
Among these decisions are the immediate cessation of hostilities and provocations between conflicting parties, as well as the initiation of negotiations between the Congolese government and all armed groups involved, including the M23 movement.
