Southern African leaders agreed on Wednesday to extend the deployment of regional troops in the conflict-ridden eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for another year. They also reaffirmed their commitment to peace efforts in Mozambique, where political unrest following disputed elections has sparked violence.
The leaders convened in Harare, Zimbabwe, for an extraordinary summit under the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a 16-nation bloc that includes the DRC. South Africa, a key regional power, has deployed nearly 3,000 troops to support the SADC mission in the DRC, which began in December. Additional troops have come from Tanzania and Malawi.
The SADC mission is part of a larger complex of forces in the DRC, a mineral-rich region plagued by decades of armed conflict. These include Congolese government forces, foreign mercenaries, UN peacekeepers, and numerous rebel groups vying for control over resources. Some armed factions have been accused of ethnic violence and massacres.
Rwanda, which is accused of backing the M23 rebel group in the DRC, denies the allegations, despite claims from the Congolese government and UN experts. The conflict in the eastern DRC has led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with over 7 million people displaced.
Although UN peacekeepers were scheduled to leave the DRC next month, escalating violence by rebel forces has led to a delay in their departure, with a new timetable to be determined. Congolese officials are discussing the future of the UN mission, but no specific plans have been announced.
In Mozambique, SADC leaders reiterated their commitment to a peaceful resolution of the political unrest following disputed elections in October. Protests have led to at least 30 deaths. The ruling FRELIMO party declared victory in the elections, but the opposition, led by independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, has challenged the results. Mondlane, who came second with 20% of the vote, called for protests and has since gone into exile, claiming there was a plot to kill him.
The country’s highest court has yet to rule on the electoral challenge, while Mozambique’s attorney general has filed a complaint seeking compensation for damages caused by the unrest. Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi has expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with opposition leaders to ease political tensions.
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