The Chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who recently pledged to take strong action against the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has now called for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
Earlier this week, the M23 killed at least 16 soldiers from SADC and UN peacekeeping forces stationed in the DRC. Mnangagwa had previously vowed to hold those responsible accountable. However, in his closing remarks following an Extraordinary Summit in Harare on Friday, he urged all parties to cease hostilities.
“It is the responsibility of both individual nations and the collective group of Member States to do more to ensure the permanent silencing of weapons if we are to achieve our goals. We must move forward together—no one and no place should be excluded,” Mnangagwa stated.
He emphasized that continued decisive action is necessary to fully support the mission in the DRC, ensuring it has the resources needed to carry out its objectives. The SADC leader also stressed the importance of all parties engaging in an inclusive dialogue and finding peaceful resolutions, in line with both the Luanda Ceasefire Agreement and the Nairobi Peace Process.
Furthermore, Mnangagwa called on the international community to provide increased humanitarian aid to the affected Congolese population and to support ongoing efforts aimed at maintaining peace and security in the region.
The regional bloc also proposed an urgent joint summit with the East African Community to address the security situation in the DRC.
As of this year, more than 400,000 people in the DRC have been displaced due to the ongoing violence.
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