Aletta Shikololo

In light of the worsening political and military situation in the eastern DRC, President Hage Geingob, the chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, said the region is ready to tackle the shifting dynamics in that country.

The resurgence of the M23 (also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army) since last year and the proliferation of unlawful armed factions, which launch assaults on civilians, state security agencies and public infrastructure from neighbouring countries, have been the primary drivers behind this urgent need for action.

He made these remarks yesterday at the Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit plus SADC Troika and Force Intervention Brigade Troop Contributing Countries in Windhoek.

This discussion is in response to the SADC field assessment mission to Eastern DRC, which occurred in March 2023.

Geingob said the ongoing engagements to promote and safeguard peace, security and stability in the region stem from the principles that guide the regional integration agenda as espoused in the SADC Treaty, which was signed in Windhoek, Namibia, in August 1992. 

“These principles inspired the development of the foundation pillar of the 2020-2030 RISDP, namely peace, security and good governance,” he said.

Geingob noted that the regional indicative strategic development plan (RISDP) demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to addressing political and security challenges within the region.

He emphasised that SADC has not only expressed political will, but it has also established appropriate frameworks, which will be further fortified to achieve the desired outcome of maintaining peace, security and stability in the region.

“Our Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) has been deployed in eastern DRC as part of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) with the aim of securing this part of the country and restoring its overall territorial integrity,” he noted.

Additionally, Geingob mentioned that SADC is preparing to bolster its efforts to support the people of DRC as the country approaches the end-of-year elections in 2023. 

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa said, “South Africa stands ready to contribute to the development of effective regional instruments that could assist to stabilise the current security situation prevailing in the Eastern DRC. We, therefore, support the need for long-term planning to be ingrained in the SADC Peace and Security Architecture”.

“South Africa has noted with concern the report on the deteriorating security situation in the eastern DRC. We condemn the activities of the illegal armed groups and call upon the- groups and their sponsors to cease their activities immediately. The war has persisted for far too long, and it is our firm belief that the people of the DRC deserve peace and development,” said Ramaphosa.

With DRC’s membership to the East African Community (EAC) and the initiatives led by Angolan president João Lourenco, Geingob said there is a growing need for SADC to collaborate closely with the EAC and other regional economic communities (RECs) to effectively coordinate their efforts in assisting the government and people of DRC.

He then emphasised that due to SADC’s steadfast commitment to peace and security in the DRC, the region must prioritise efforts to reclaim the progress made since March 2013 through the FIB; this includes eliminating unlawful armed factions, safeguarding and strengthening the territorial integrity of DRC, and securing the future of a country, whose socio-economic development is interlinked with SADC’s regional developmental objectives.

The UN reports that conflict in the east of the DRC has displaced more than five million people, with more than one million people forced to flee their homes in North Kivu alone since the start of the M23 crisis in March 2022.

Speaking during the ministerial engagements prior to the summit, minister of International Relations and chair of the SADC Ministerial Committee of the Organ Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said despite the Silencing the Guns key initiative in the vision for “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa”, adopted by AU leaders in May 2013, guns are still being heard in different parts of Africa, including SADC. 

Nandi-Ndaitwah reiterated the responsibility of the leaders to collectively “silence the guns” to maintain peace and stability in the region.

Non-military interventions

In an interview with this publication on Sunday, Frans Kapofi, Namibia’s Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, cautioned member states against relying on military interventions to resolve problems. 

He stressed the importance of bringing people together to share experiences and find ways to address the issues plaguing the continent.  

“Many of these issues are political in nature, but there is a need for dialogue as the preferred solution,” he said, cautioning against the knee-jerk reaction of resorting to military force, which he said is not always the best approach.

While he acknowledged that deploying forces to maintain peace may be necessary, he urged leaders to explore all possible avenues to resolve issues amicably before resorting to military action. 

Kapofi was speaking shortly before the summit at a Windhoek hotel.

Summit resolutions

Some of the Summit resolutions include the deployment of a SADC Force to restore peace and security in Eastern DRC, and also approved a SADC common position for a more coordinated approach.

The summit also urged the DRC government to put in place measures for effective coordination among sub-regional forces and bilateral partners operating in the DRC. 

Additionally, the summit noted with satisfaction the positive response of the African Union to organise a summit of the quadripartite to coordinate and harmonise interventions in the DRC.

- ashikololo@nepc.com.na