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OpenMalawi Orders Troop Withdrawal From DRC After Three Soldiers Killed
Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has instructed the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to begin preparations for the withdrawal of its troops from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the deaths of three soldiers in combat.
The Malawi troops are part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), a regional effort aimed at assisting the country in dealing with armed insurgents. The military mission was extended by SADC late last year.
The SAMIDRC mission was intended to include 5,000 troops from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania.
South Africa, which leads the mission, was to deploy 2,900 troops, with the remaining forces shared between Malawi and Tanzania. However, the exact number of troops currently deployed is unclear.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 5 February, the Government of Malawi confirmed plans to withdraw its troops from the DRC. It said:
President Chakwera has ordered the MDF (Malawi Defense Force) commander to begin preparations for the withdrawal of Malawian troops… to honour the declaration of a ceasefire by the warring parties there and to pave way for their planned negotiations towards a lasting peace.
Malawi’s Information Minister, Moses Kunkuyu, told the BBC Newsday programme that the planned withdrawal was being made in good faith.
He explained that a meeting of southern African leaders last week in Tanzania, held alongside the Africa Energy Summit, resulted in a resolution calling for a ceasefire from all parties in the conflict, to create an opportunity for peaceful negotiations. Said Kunkuyu:
It is pursuant to that agreement that the president of Malawi has seen it fit to contribute to the peace-building effort by withdrawing troops from the region so that there is that peaceful negotiation.
He, however, did not specify when the troops would leave but said only the “operational aspects” remained to be finalised.
Kunkuyu added that the decision had been communicated to the president of the DR Congo and the Southern African bloc.
The Malawian president has faced pressure to withdraw the country’s forces from DR Congo following the deaths of peacekeepers.
South Africa has encountered similar pressure, but President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to maintain the presence of South African troops in DR Congo, saying they are part of the SAMIDRC mission, which has set operational timeframes and an end date.
Malawi, Tanzania, and South Africa have all lost soldiers in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after engaging with the M23 rebel group in the eastern region.
In the meantime, a rebel alliance, including M23 fighters, has declared a ceasefire starting on Tuesday for humanitarian reasons.
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