Rwanda’s military is escorting Southern African troops across its territory to Tanzania as part of their withdrawal from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a spokesperson for the Rwandan army confirmed on Tuesday.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), which consists of 16 countries, announced in mid-March that it had ended its mission mandate and would begin a phased pullout of its SAMIDRC force from Congo.
The mission, launched in December 2023, aimed to support the Congolese government in its efforts to combat rebel groups in the country’s eastern provinces. After the fall of Goma, Congo’s largest city, to Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in February, many of the Southern African troops sought refuge in United Nations peacekeeping bases.
