Southern Africa: SADC Denies M23's Claims of Joint Operations With DRC

14 April 2025
Capital FM (Nairobi)

Nairobi — The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has denied accusations made by the March 23 Movement (M23) that its forces are collaborating with Congolese and foreign militias in military operations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a statement released on Monday, SADC described the allegations as "both inaccurate and misleading," asserting that its peacekeeping mission, the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), has not participated in any joint operations with the Congolese military or militia groups.

"SAMIDRC has not participated in any joint operations as claimed," the statement read. "These assertions are both inaccurate and misleading."

The allegations, made in a communiqué dated April 12 by the M23 group, claimed that SADC forces had aligned themselves with the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and the Wazalendo militia to carry out coordinated military actions in Goma.

SADC's firm rebuttal comes amid a sensitive period of regional diplomacy and military recalibration.

Ongoing withdrawal

The regional bloc emphasized that SAMIDRC is currently withdrawing from the DRC in line with a directive from the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government.

"SAMIDRC is currently implementing a structured and coordinated withdrawal from the DRC," the Secretariat affirmed.

The SADC also reaffirmed its commitment to an agreement reached on March 28, 2025, in Goma during a consultative meeting with M23 representatives.

"The Organisation remains dedicated to supporting peaceful and diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving lasting stability in the eastern DRC."

The Secretariat called on all parties to act responsibly, refrain from spreading misinformation, and contribute to de-escalation and the restoration of peace in the conflict-affected region.

"The SADC Secretariat urges all parties to act responsibly, refrain from the spread of misinformation, and work collectively toward de-escalation and the restoration of peace in the region," SADC said.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2025 Capital FM. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.