Challenge For DRC as Malawi President Orders Withdrawal of Its Troops

Lazarus Chakwera, the President of Malawi, has commanded the military to start preparations for a withdrawal from their peacekeeping operation in the unstable eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Malawian soldiers are involved in the SAMIDRC military mission from the southern African regional bloc, which is sent to the DR Congo to assist in addressing armed groups.

During the M23 rebels’ capture of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, last week, at least 20 peacekeepers were killed, including 14 South Africans and three Malawians.

President Chakwera stated on Wednesday that his choice was intended to “honour the declaration of a ceasefire by the parties”, despite the ongoing fighting.

He stated in a Wednesday evening announcement on state television that troop withdrawal would “pave the way for their planned negotiations towards a lasting peace.”

Moses Kunkuyu, Malawi’s Information Minister, informed the BBC Newsday programme that the decision to withdraw was being “made in good faith”.

He stated that a meeting of southern African leaders last week in Tanzania, during the Africa Energy Summit, resulted in a resolution “to call for a ceasefire from all parties in the conflict, just to pave way for peaceful negotiations”.

“Based on that agreement, the president of Malawi has deemed it appropriate to aid in peace-building by withdrawing troops from the region to facilitate peaceful negotiations.”

Although he did not specify the exact departure time for the troops, he mentioned that only the “operational aspects” were left to address and that they had informed both the president of DR Congo and the southern Africa bloc of their decision.

On Monday, the M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, announced a unilateral ceasefire “for humanitarian reasons,” set to commence the next day.

However, hostilities have recommenced, and reports indicate that the rebels have seized control of the mining town of Nyabibwe in South Kivu province.

Following the deaths of peacekeepers, there has been mounting pressure on the Malawian president to pull his country’s forces out of DR Congo.

South Africa has experienced similar pressure; however, President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to maintaining his troops in DR Congo, stating that they are part of the SAMIDRC mission “which has operational timeframes and an end date”. Initially deployed in 2023, the mission was extended last year until December of this year.

The Sadc (southern African bloc) authorized the SAMIDRC mission to consist of 5,000 troops from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania.

The mission is led by South Africa, which was to deploy 2,900 troops, with the remainder distributed between Malawi and Tanzania. However, the exact number of troops currently in these locations is unknown.

Some Malawian soldiers are also stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the UN peacekeeping force Monusco.

This Saturday, Sadc leaders will convene in Tanzania for a special joint summit with East African heads of states to discuss the crisis in the DR Congo.

It is anticipated that the bitter rivals, DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, will both be in attendance.

In the meantime, reports of the Ugandan military dispatching troops to eastern DR Congo due to the fighting in and around Goma have been refuted.

Ever since they took Goma, the rebels have been trying to take control of areas in South Kivu, with a particular focus on Bukavu, the capital. To aid in the defense of the city, authorities in Congo have recruited hundreds of civilian volunteers.

The territory is being administered by top officials appointed by the rebel group, including a governor of North Kivu.

On Thursday, the M23 organized a rally in Goma for the first time since they took control of the city, where rebel leader Corneille Nangaa spoke to large crowds at the Unity Stadium.

Nangaa has been accused of treason and war crimes, leading a military court in Kinshasa to issue an arrest warrant for him.

The UN reports that almost 3,000 individuals lost their lives amid the M23’s violent efforts to capture Goma.