DRC: President Signs agreement on the status of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Force
On Friday, November 17th, the President of the Republic Félix Tshisekedi officially endorsed the protocol for the signing of an agreement establishing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Force, which will be deployed in the eastern part of the DRC in the coming days.
The commitment of the Congolese government to support this regional force by providing the necessary diplomatic facilities for its intervention is unwavering, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula.
«The signing of this agreement clearly defines the mission of this regional force, which will primarily assist the Congolese army in the fight against the M23 and other armed groups continuously disrupting peace and stability in the region» , added Minister Lutundula.
The government explained that this decision is in line with the principle of collective security, in accordance with the SADC Mutual Defense Pact.
The discussions, in their final phase, led to this initiative aimed at addressing the persistent security challenges in the eastern DRC.
On November 10th, during the Council of Ministers, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi had urged the Deputy Prime Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense to take all necessary steps to ensure the effective deployment of the SADC force in the DRC.
His recommendation followed the conclusions of the 43rd summit of SADC Heads of State regarding the deployment of the SADC Mission in the DRC.
As a reminder, SADC includes sixteen countries in southern Africa and the Indian Ocean region: South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Comoros.
Romain KEZIE
