This week, the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) is set to complete its withdrawal from Cabo Delgado, three years after its initial deployment. Remaining personnel will focus on extracting vehicles and equipment.
Despite facing significant challenges, SAMIM’s mission, funded and led primarily by SADC member states, stands as a testament to a regionally driven solution to a pressing security issue. Examining its challenges and successes will provide valuable insights for future peace and security efforts in the region.
As SAMIM withdraws, South African, Tanzanian, and Malawian troops are six months into a new SADC mission in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Deployed on December 15, 2023, the SAMIDRC mission follows the SADC Mutual Defence Pact (2003) and aims to stabilize the region by neutralizing rebel groups, including the notorious M23.
South Africa has contributed 2,900 troops for a 12-month period, with Malawi and Tanzania adding to the 5,000-strong force. This mission comes in the wake of the East African Regional Force’s withdrawal, which Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi criticized for its perceived lack of aggression towards rebels. It also coincides with the UN Mission (Monusco) drawdown, a force of 14,000 active in the DRC for over two decades.
South African troops are familiar with the DRC from their time in Monusco’s Force Intervention Brigade, tasked with offensive operations against M23. However, the SAMIDRC faces a more complex environment with approximately 130 armed groups in North and South Kivu, each deeply embedded in local communities and familiar with the challenging terrain.
A recent UN report highlights a worsening security situation, with accusations that Rwanda has provided significant support to M23, including advanced military equipment. This has escalated the conflict, leading to increased casualties among SAMIDRC troops, including recent attacks that resulted in the deaths of South African and Tanzanian soldiers.
The SAMIDRC’s goal is to support the Congolese government in restoring peace and security. However, with no accompanying peace process and a complex, unresolved conflict, achieving this goal remains uncertain. Previous efforts, including those by Monusco, struggled to resolve the conflict, which has roots in earlier Congo wars.
Lessons from SAMIM underscore the importance of combining military action with political solutions. While SAMIM made progress in Cabo Delgado, lasting peace requires addressing the underlying causes of conflict, such as ethnic tensions, corruption, and economic marginalization.
In the DRC, the SAMIDRC’s purely offensive approach may not suffice without a robust political strategy. SADC must leverage its presence to advocate for a comprehensive conflict-resolution plan that integrates both military and political efforts.
Stephen Buchanan-Clarke, head of Good Governance Africa’s Peace and Security Programme, emphasizes that while SAMIDRC may achieve short-term security improvements, long-term stability will depend on addressing the root causes of conflict and ensuring a coordinated peace-building approach.
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