Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to participate in the joint Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) – East Africa Community (EAC) Summit on the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Presidency said President Ramaphosa arrived in the East African country Saturday morning, (8 February 2025), where he will join other Heads of State and Government at the summit.
The Heads of State and Government of SADC and EAC agreed to meet urgently following their respective extraordinary Summits held last month to deliberate on the way forward regarding the security situation in the DRC.
The joint SADC – EAC Summit was preceded by Senior Officials and Foreign Ministers Meetings on 6 and 7 February 2025.
“The Extraordinary SADC Summit held last month mandated the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, to engage all state and non-state parties to the conflict on a ceasefire process to protect lives and facilitate a smooth flow of humanitarian support to people and communities affected by the armed conflict,” explained the Presidency.
“‘It also urged Political and Diplomatic leaders who are parties to the conflict to engage in a coordinated effort of dialogue, including supporting the Luanda Process, MONUSCO and others, to restore peace and security in Eastern DRC.”
President Ramaphosa is accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga and senior government officials.
There has been mounting pressure from political parties for South Africa to withdraw its troops from the DRC after 14 soldiers were killed in fighting.
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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for the withdrawal of all South African soldiers from the DRC.
EFF leader Julius Malema said on EWN: “Our children, sons, and daughters of the SANDF [South African National Defence Force] have been sent to their deaths because the mineral interests of multinational corporations and individuals must be secured.
“Our soldiers have been sent to be glorified bodyguards of the mines in the DRC and this mission has been disguised as a pursuit of peace and a defence of democracy.
“Bring our soldiers home.”
The SA government has dismissed as false suggestions that the SANDF was in DRC for any other reason other than the SADC peacekeeping mission.
Politicsweb.co.za reports that the situation in the DRC continues to deteriorate.
“New reports of South African soldiers being captured by M23 rebels, along with the tragic deaths and injuries of more South African troops, underline the dire state of this operation,” reports the publication.
