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Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is tomorrow expected to preside over a SADC Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Harare, whose deliberations will centre on the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
On Monday, the President, who is chair of SADC, said the bloc will take full responsibility for the situation in the DRC.
He said they will also take decisive action to deal with the deteriorating security situation in the Eastern parts of the vast and resource-rich country.
In a statement last night, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the Extraordinary Summit was going to be on the Eastern DRC problem.
“As you know, there are negative developments in the east of the DRC, a lot of violence and conflict and you will remember that His Excellency hosted another summit on this matter and that summit was to extend the mission of Summit DRC, but now the Extraordinary Summit is for Heads of State and Government to debate and make decisions on the peace efforts for the Eastern DRC.
“We are expecting Heads of State and Government from all SADC countries to come and this summit is going to be on Friday the 31st of January 2025,” said Prof Murwira.
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The summit, the minister added, will focus on restoring peace and tranquillity in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Any instability in the SADC region is an affront to the economic development efforts of the region. Therefore, peace is very important. Their Excellencies will be able to be given the extent of the problem on Friday and they will be able to make decisions on this,” said Prof Murwira.
“You will remember that His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa issued his statement on Monday condemning violence and actually urging SADC to take action. So, SADC is taking action. That’s why there’s a summit on Friday. Everything is set for the meeting and we look forward to the resolution of problems in the eastern part of the DRC”.
In a Communiqué yesterday, the SADC Secretariat said the meeting follows the outcome of the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Organ Troika plus the DRC and Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), which was held on Tuesday.
“The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Harare, Republic of Zimbabwe, to discuss the security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The Summit will be chaired by His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and Chairperson of SADC.
“The Summit follows the outcome of the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Organ Troika plus the DRC and Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), which was held on 28th January 2025 and was chaired by Her Excellency Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation,” reads the Communique in part.
The Extraordinary Summit will be preceded by meetings of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the SADC Council of Ministers.
As of Tuesday night, the death toll from fighting between peacekeeping soldiers and M23 rebels in eastern Congo had reached 17.
The number includes 13 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers and others from Malawi and Uruguay deployed as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional force or under the UN mission in Congo (MONUSCO).
By the time of going to print, unconfirmed reports were pointing at more casualties.
Director for International Communication Services in the Ministry of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Richard Mahomva said the convening of the Summit was reflective of the high sense of urgency that the regional bloc places on instability in the region.
In recent weeks, M23 has made rapid advances towards Goma, a city with a population exceeding one million.
Intense fighting in the region has further exacerbated the situation, leading to heightened fears among residents.
As of early 2025, over 400 000 people had been displaced in the provinces of North and South Kivu, which are located near the border with Rwanda.
The UN’s refugee agency has reported a growing humanitarian need as families are forced to flee their homes in search of safety and shelter.