African Union move to send troops to Dr Congo.

SADC soldiers land in the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on November 12, 2022, as part of a regional military operation targeting rebels in the region.

African Union considered it necessary to start giving physical and financial support to Democratic Republic of Congo.overruling protestations from Rwanda, which saw support for them as a threat.

The Southern African Development Community Mission (SAMIDRC) was deployed on December 15 last year. Following the endorsement, the African Union Commission is required to provide necessary logistical and financial support to the mission.

SAMIDRC, whose deployment was approved by the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC), replaced the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), whose mandate expired late last year.

The AU approval now means that the forces can draw logistical support from the relevant organs of the continental bloc.

It said the council “endorses (SAMIDRC) …and requests the AU Commission to mobilise requisite support for SAMIDRC, including from the AU Peace Fund Crisis Reserve Facility.

It also “requests the AU Commission to expedite the transfer of the equipment donated to SADC, which is still at the AU Continental Logistics Base in Douala, Cameroon, to support in efforts of ensuring effective implementation of SAMIDRC mandate.”

While the decision was taken on Monday last week, the communique was only made available on Saturday. And it means Rwanda’s protestations had been overruled by the 15-member council.

Rwanda had opposed support for the SADC mission in eastern DRC, claiming the force would exacerbate the conflict. This, even as Rwanda’s tensions with neighbouring Burundi, escalated.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, in a letter to the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission on Monday, ahead of the AU Peace and Security Council meeting, said the force “cannot substitute for a political process that has been blocked by the government of DRC”.

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