The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has welcomed the withdrawal of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers who are on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
During an extraordinary Summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Thursday, 13 March, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided to terminate the mandate of the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) and commence the phased withdrawal of soldiers.
SANDF TROOPS TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM DRC
As previously reported, the RSA contingent that was deployed in 2023 forms an integral part of the SAMIDRC which aimed to bolster the efforts of the Congolese government to restore peace, security, and stability to the region.
Political parties including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the EFF were against the deployment of SANDF troops saying they are not equipped enough to deal with the M23 rebels. Following the death of 19 soldiers from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania, who were killed when the M23 rebels captured the region’s biggest city, Goma, in January, calls intensified for the Commander In Chief of the SANDF, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to withdraw the country’s troops from DRC.
On Thursday, the Red Berets said the decision reaffirms the party’s consistently stated position: South Africa’s military was ill-equipped for the SAMIDRC deployment and that the mission was unsustainable.
The party said the continued deterioration of security in Eastern DRC, particularly the capture of Goma, Bukavu and the blockage of vital humanitarian supply routes, further demonstrated the failure of SAMIDRC to achieve its objectives.
“Rather than stabilising the region, the mission found itself in an increasingly vulnerable position, unable to counter the growing influence of the M23 rebels, who have received backing from Rwanda,” the EFF said.
Moreover, the EFF said the R5 billion that was earmarked for South Africa’s involvement in SAMIDRC must be directed towards strengthening the country’s defence capabilities ensuring that South Africa is adequately equipped should another opportunity for peace keeping occur.
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