On Saturday March 23, 2024, The Extraordinary Summit of South African Development Community (SADC), that was held in Lusaka Zambia, ended. The summit focused on the security situation in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Summit openly denounced the deceptive maneuvers and actions of the Rwandan government against the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) and its invasion of DRC under the cover of M23 rebels. While SADC Extraordinary Summit in Lusaka, Zambia was focusing on deceptive schemes by Rwandan Government, the Rwandan government foreign minister was manipulating DRC Foreign Affairs and Defense ministers in Luanda, Angola.
The extraordinary summit in Lusaka, Zambia was labelled the ExtraOrdinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Organ Troika Plus SADC Troika, Troops Contributing Countries to the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), Personnel Contributing Countries to the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Mozambique.
The extraordinary summit was devoted to the evaluation of the SADC missions deployed in Mozambique and the DRC. The extraordinary summit was attended by the DRC President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, the Angolan President Joao Lourenco, President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, President Emmerson Dambudzo Namgangwa of Zimbabwe, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of Malawi, President Phillipe Nyusi of Mozambique, the Vice-Presidents of Namibia and Tanzania, the Prime Minister of Lesotho, the Minister of Defense of Botswana and the Minister in the Presidency of South Africa. Experts from different countries also participated in this summit.
According to the press release published on March 23, 2024 at the end of the summit meetings, the SADC heads of state denounced and disapproved of Rwanda's actions against the SADC mission in the DRC.
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A Firm Stance by Presidents in Lusaka, Zambia and Manipulation of Ministers by Rwandan Government in Luanda, Angola.
The Summit also disapproved "the contents of the correspondence from the Republic of Rwanda to the United Nations and African Union Commission concerning support to SAMIDRC."
The Summit started with a briefing on the SADC missions in the DRC and in Mozambique. After the briefing, the heads and representatives of state of the SADC member countries confirmed that the deployment of the SAMIDRC is in accordance with the Pact which created the SADC and that of mutual defense of member countries.
The Summit also reiterated the regional commitment expressed in the SADC Mutual Defence Pact that, “an armed attack against one shall be deemed a threat to regional peace and security”, and commended Member States for demonstrating the spirit of collective regional solidarity through their continued contribution and support to SAMIM and SAMIDRC.
Consequently, the summit welcomed the decision by the African Union Commission and the United Nations Security Council to reject Rwanda's request to stop the support to SADC mission, SAMIDRC. Rwanda had taken steps with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Commission so that these bodies would not endorse the SADC military mission in the DRC. In response, the African UnionCommission and the United Nations Security Council requested that the equipment of the African Standby Force stored in Cameroon be made available to the SAMIRDC.
President Felix Tshisekedi's presidential delegation also included the Minister of State in charge of regional integration, Mbusa Nyamwisi, the High Representative of the Head of State, Serge Tshibangu, the Chief of General Staff of the FARDC, Army General Christian Tshiwewe and other experts.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Jean-Pierre Bemba and Foreign Affairs Minister Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen'Apala attended a meeting in Luanda, Angola since March 21, 2024.
In the meeting with Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta and Angolan Tete Antonie, their reached controversial conclusions, focusing on Rwandan rebel group, FDLR, instead of the actual invaders of DRC, the Rwandan Defense forces under the cover of M23 rebels.
The statement by the three ministers contained two disagreements. DRC delegation insisted on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from DRC territory before additional steps forward, whereas the Rwandan delegation focused on a ceasefire between FARDC and M23. However, a major issue in the statement was raised. In fact, the statement by the ministers in Luanda, Angola appears to contradict the content of the statement by the Presidents in Zambia. Hence, based on the two statements, the political analysts and people close to the DRC and Angola governments contacted by AfroAmerica Network, confided that the DRC foreign Affairs and Defense ministers appear to have been manipulated by the Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister.
Hence, the conclusions reached in the meeting by the DRC, Rwandan, and Angolan ministers in Luanda have reportedly been rejected by SADC heads of state and the top leaders of the DRC government.
AfroAmerica Network is still following the dynamics.
©2024 AfroAmerica Network
