The South African Development Community agreed to deploy troops to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to help end violence in the region.
(Bloomberg) — The South African Development Community agreed to deploy troops to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to help end violence in the region.
The force will join peace-keepers from the United Nations, private military contractors and soldiers from the East African Community already on the ground.
The 16-member SADC urged Congo to put in place measures to coordinate “the sub-regional forces and bilateral partners” operating in the country, the group said in a statement Monday after a meeting of government representatives and heads of state in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.
More than 100 armed groups are active in eastern Congo, fighting over a variety of grievances including land, identity and economic access. About 7.5 million people have fled their homes, mostly due to violence, the UN said last week in a call for hundreds of millions of dollars in new humanitarian assistance.
Congo accuses neighbor Rwanda of supporting one of the groups, known as the M23. Rwanda denies the claim and tensions have remained high between the two countries. Congo is a member state of both SADC and the East African bloc, while Rwanda is part of the EAC.
Congo’s presidency called the SADC decision to send troops “a decisive moment” in a communique sent by text message.
The force will help bring about “the restoration of a definitive peace by enforcing the sacrosanct principle of the inviolability of the borders of each country,” Congo’s Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula said, according to the communique.
Eastern Congo is rich in natural resources including gold, tin ore and coltan, and armed groups sometimes profit from the illicit mineral trade.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.