Southern African leaders have decided to pull their troops out of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where they’ve been supporting the government against Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.
The decision was made during a virtual summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Thursday.
The troops were deployed two years ago to help the Congolese army fight the M23 rebels.
However, despite their efforts, the rebels have continued to gain ground, capturing key cities like Goma and Bukavu.
The M23’s advances have resulted in significant losses for the SADC forces, with at least 19 soldiers from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania killed in January.
Although the troops will be withdrawn, SADC leaders emphasized that the bloc will continue to support interventions aimed at bringing lasting peace to the region.
The situation in eastern DR Congo remains volatile, with the M23 rebels showing no signs of backing down.
