DR Congo : SADC-M23 Endorse Troops Withdrawal Plan

Military personnel of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will soon depart from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following the signing of agreement between the regional bloc and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group on Friday March 28, 2025. The signing ceremony took place in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which is under M23 control. In attendance were Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defence Force, and Sultani Makenga, the rebel group's military coordinator. Prior to the signing, military chiefs of SADC and those of M23 had met in Goma to discuss on how the logistics will be withdrawn and the duration of the exercise. 
According to M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, the withdrawal will be carried out through Goma International Airport. A ceasefire was also proposed during the ceremony to ensure the successful departure of the troops. The M23 has agreed to facilitate the immediate withdrawal of SADC troops along with their weapons and equipment, while SAMIDRC is required to return any FARDC-owned arms currently in its possession. A follow-up meeting between SADC and the M23 is scheduled, though the date and location remain undetermined. Deployed in December 2023, the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) comprises troops from Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania, tasked with assisting the DRC armed forces (FARDC) in combating armed groups in the country's eastern region. But recently the mission suffered casualties obliging SADC heads of state to announce the termination of the deployment in March.
Since its resurgence in late 2021, the M23 has captured ...