ZIMBABWE will deploy troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a neutral Sadc force pledged by the regional bloc to resolve the armed conflict in the eastern part of that country.
Fighting between the government of President Joseph Kabila and M23 rebels has been raging for the past few months.
The M23 rebels have waged a brutal onslaught against the government of President Kabila and are reportedly backed by Rwanda.
The UN has singled out Rwanda as the "money and brains" behind the M23 rebel movement, led by renegade General Bosco Ntaganda.
Gen Ntaganda, notoriously called Terminator, reportedly defected from the DRC army earlier this year after a fallout with President Kabila on the integration of former rebels and military service conditions.
He is now believed to be leading the rebel movement made up of mutineers from the DRC army and his former rebel cohorts in the earlier civil war.
Indications are that he operates out of Rwanda with President Paul Kagame's backing.
Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Joey Bimha confirmed the deployment of the ZDF yesterday.
This followed an approval by regional leaders at a Sadc Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Tanzania last Friday to deploy a neutral force in the eastern DRC to ensure peace.
"As such, Zimbabwe will contribute troops to that eastern area of the DRC to work with other countries in the region who will also contribute troops under the Sadc Standby Force," said Ambassador Bimha.
"Zimbabwe, being a member of Sadc, is obliged by the (Sadc) Treaty and Protocol on Defence and Security to assist DRC because the country is also a member of the regional bloc.
"The Sadc-mandated force will be a neutral international force and will monitor both sides as the regional bloc moves to ensure there is peace in the region."
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who co-ordinates the Sadc forces, said he expected them to be ready for deployment by tomorrow.
Ambassador Bimha could not reveal the number of Zimbabwean soldiers to be part of the Sadc team.
He said the troops would be funded by the DRC government with assistance from the United Nations and the African Union.
The neutral Sadc troops, Ambassador Bimha said, would work with other troops under the banner of the UN and the AU.
They would assist in keeping the warring parties apart and achieving some level of stability.
It would be the second time for Zimbabwe to send troops to the vast central African country.
In 1998, Sadc mandated Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe to deploy in the DRC against rebel groups backed by Rwanda and Uganda.
The rebels were tacitly supported by the United States and some European countries.
Ambassador Bimha said the soldiers were expected to be in the DRC for at least a year.
"In terms of funding, we expect the DRC Government to contribute for the upkeep of the force and other expenses and for the meantime, the United Nations and the AU will also be helping fund the mission," Ambassador Bimha said.
Zimbabwe Defence Forces director of public relations Colonel Overson Mugwisi yesterday said the nation would be informed accordingly on the matter.
"When that decision is made by the Government of Zimbabwe, the nation will be informed accordingly," he said.
At last week's meeting, Tanzania promised to contribute a battalion, while other Sadc member states said they would "activate" a standby brigade of 3 000 soldiers by mid-December.
The 1998 deployment by Sadc, dubbed Operation Sovereign Legitimacy, fostered an uneasy peace that enabled the vast country to hold its first elections in 45 years.
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Its Okay to deploy troops from Zimbabwe to take care of security in our country for the threat the M23 are putting on Kabila's government as stated above.But you as the whole Africans leaders opposed to this type of colonial rules while knowing also that you are not capable of giving Gods people their little happiness they ought to receive from your just powers,to me DRC government should not attempt to put its head that they are going to meet the cost of importing in foreign soldiers to defend their primitive private and personal interests than negotiating with the citizens concerns.Do you the world leaders think that the money you want to be spending in DRC cannot help us the needy? African leaders must learn how to defend and rule their people than sitting on our thrones for their personal interests.To your knowledge if you think DRC belongs to Kabila's father,to hell with SADC and Zimbabwe.We don't have roads,schools,water to drink,hospitals as our mothers are giving birth under trees then you talk on meeting expense?Kabila and his people are the people to leave DRC immediately because any body with the intention of raising war in DRC on our own expenses,should stop his contribution now.This is a community war not a foreign interference.The Kinshasa should negotiate with all the citizens in DRC for their rights.The world should not take it as a joke otherwise the cost of loosing all the Nation will be upon the world.As per now the whole of DRC is on fire if you have your people observing.These truth is an evident to us and the rest of the world. Youth President for Demobilization of DRC Satan matata.
There is no community war in DRC. It is a Rwandan and Ugandan backed invasion once again. DRC is right in seeking the assistance of SADC to defend its territorial integrity. All commnunities in DRC are equal and none should always resort to armed rebellion to obtain favorable positions. While in Rwanda or Uganda a minority ethnic/tribe has all the effective power and privileges, things are different in DRC where all tribes/ethnics are equal. The same rules apply to all tribes/etnics in DRC which only needs peace to build itself, no meddling.
Just shows we as Africans have not learnt to solve our problems peacefully.We also show repeatedly that we are not able to manage countries democratically. One cannot build prosperity out of conflict and warmongering! Then we wonder why we have food shortages and poor health services and dictators! We need to look to ourselves! We need to re think the African ways. Conflict is not the way to go.
THERE'S A PROVERB THAT SAYS: IRON CUTS IRON. IF THE REBELS ARE READY TO TALK PEACE, IT'S THEIR DUTY TO SIT DOWN PEACEFULLY WITH THEIR AFRICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND RESOLVE THE SITUATION. BUT, TO MANY ATTENTION IN AFRICA, IT'S BEING SAID THAT THE REBELS DO NOT WANT PEACE SIMPLY BY DOING OR CREATING DESTRUCTION IN THAT AFRICAN COUNTRIES. THIS QUESTION GOES TO THE REBELS: WHY DESTROY YOUR OWN FOR OTHERS - WHAT BENEFITS WOULD YOU GET OUT OF IT?? REALLY, WHAT BENEFITS WOULD YOU GET OUT OF IT WHEN YOU DESTROY YOUR ENVIRONMENT AND COUNTRY FOR GREEDY OUTSIDERS??? STOP THE PROPAGANDA AND SIT DOWN WITH YOUR AFRICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM(S) ONCE AND FOR ALL.