Vice-President, Dr Philip Mpango has said that Tanzania is committed to support and contribute towards the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC), in an effort to ensure the goals of restoring peace and stability is attained.
Dr Mpango said this on Tuesday, while representing President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan in an extraordinary virtual meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Tripartite Organisation for Cooperation in Politics, Security and Defence of the Southern African Development Community (SADC Organ Troika).
The VP said Tanzania fully supports SADC efforts to strengthen the defence and security situation in the Eastern DRC.
"Tanzania is fully committed to make an additional contribution to the establishment of the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC)," Dr Mpango said.
The meeting aimed at highlighting the security situation in the East of the DRC and in the North of the Republic of Mozambique. SADC member states also agreed to extend SADC Mission forces in Mozambique (SAMIM) for 12 months from July 16, 2023.
SAMIM is an active regional peacekeeping mission operated by the SADC in Northern Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province.
The virtual meeting was also attended by the President of Namibia Dr Hage Geingob, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of Malawi Dr Lazarus Chakwera, President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi and President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema.
Other Heads of State who attended the meeting include President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of Zimbabwe Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of the DRC Felix Tshisekedi, Prime Minister of Lesotho Samuel Ntsokoane and the Deputy Prime Minister of Angola, Ambassador Te'te Antònio.
In May this year, President Samia took part in the Southern SADC Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit (EO-OTS), which reached a consensus to provide unwavering support in the fight against armed groups in Eastern DRC.
The support from SADC is envisioned to pave the way for sustainable peace, security and prosperity for people of the country and the region as a whole
The meeting which also featured the SADC Troika Plus Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) Troop Contributing Countries convened in Windhoek, Namibia was attended by Heads of State and Government from Angola, DRC, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
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According to the Communique of the meeting, immediate regional support was needed for the government of the DRC to address the prevailing security situation in the Eastern part of the country ahead of the national election scheduled to be held in December this year.
"The Summit noted with great concern the unstable and deteriorating security situation prevailing in the Eastern DRC and reiterated its strong condemnation of the upsurge of conflict and activities of armed groups including the resurgence of M23 rebels in the DRC.
"They also reiterated a call for immediate cessation of hostilities by all armed groups and unconditional withdrawal from the current occupied areas," stated the Communique.
The summit approved the deployment of a SADC force in the framework of the SADC standby force as a regional response in support of the DRC to restore peace and security in Eastern DRC.
Also, approved a common position to have a more coordinated approach given the multiple deployment and multilateral and bilateral arrangements in the Eastern, urging the government of DR Congo to put in place the necessary conditions and measures for effective coordination amongst sub-regional forces bilateral partners operating in the DRC.
The summit, however, welcomed the agreement by the African Union Commission supporting the convening of the Quadripartite Summit to support the coordination of the peace process in the DR Congo.
