The Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced on Saturday that it had deployed a Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) on December 15 to assist the Congolese government in restoring peace and security in the eastern part of the country.
"The deployment of the SAMIDRC was approved by the Extraordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia, on 08 May 2023 as a regional response to address the unstable and deteriorating security situation prevailing in the Eastern DRC," the SADC said in a press release.
As part of SAMIDRC, a regional SADC force made up of soldiers from Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania is tasked with working with the Congolese army to combat armed groups operating in eastern DRC.
"The presence of the SAMIDRC demonstrates the commitment of SADC Member States to supporting the DRC in its efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability and, ultimately, create an enabling environment for sustainable development and prosperity," the regional bloc said.
The deployment of SAMIDRC is in line with the principle of collective self-defense and action as enshrined in the SADC Mutual Defense Pact (2003). The Pact emphasizes that any "armed attack against a State Party shall be considered a threat to regional peace and security and such an attack shall be met with immediate collective action".
Angola holds the rotating presidency of SADC, a grouping that includes Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.