Synopsis
The SADC will hold an extraordinary summit in Harare on Thursday to address the escalating security challenges in eastern DRC, following recent attacks on peacekeeping missions. This meeting, chaired by Zimbabwe's President Mnangagwa, highlights the urgent need for regional cooperation to tackle the crisis.Key Takeaways
- SADC convenes special summit in Harare.
- Focus on eastern DRC security situation.
- Preceded by meetings of senior officials.
- Condemnation of armed groups by Mnangagwa.
- Ongoing displacement of over 400,000 individuals.
Harare, Jan 30 (NationPress) The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is set to convene a special summit in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, on Thursday to address the security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as stated by the SADC Secretariat.
This extraordinary gathering of heads of state and government will be led by SADC Chairperson and President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Prior to the summit, meetings of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the SADC Council of Ministers will take place, as indicated in the statement.
The SADC, a regional economic bloc comprising 16 member nations, includes the DRC among its members. The other nations are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The summit is convened in light of recent assaults on United Nations and SADC peacekeeping forces by armed factions in eastern DRC.
On Monday, Mnangagwa denounced the armed groups for their attacks, which have led to numerous casualties, pledging that SADC will respond decisively to the worsening security and humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC.
In November 2024, SADC extended the duration of its peacekeeping mission in the DRC for an additional year due to ongoing clashes between the Congolese army and armed factions, which have displaced over 400,000 individuals since the beginning of 2025.
Previously, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with the presidents of both the DRC and Rwanda to address the rising conflict in the DRC, according to a UN spokesperson.
The M23 rebels currently control parts of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, while Rwanda has refuted claims of its military presence in the DRC supporting M23.
