Signing of the SADC Military Deployment Agreement in the East of the DRC
President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi presided over the signing of the SADC force status agreement, paving the way for the deployment of a regional force to support the fight against the M23 and other armed groups.
Head of State Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi presided over the official signing ceremony on November 17, 2023, during which the Congolese government signed the agreement regarding the status of the SADC force set to deploy imminently in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Congolese government committed to providing the diplomatic facilities necessary for this type of military intervention. Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula stated that the accord defines the regional force's mission objective, explaining that the deployment would support the Congolese army in combating and eliminating the M23 and other armed groups disrupting peace and security.
Regional heads of state from Southern Africa had convened on November 4 in Luanda, Angola, for an extraordinary summit addressing the security situation in eastern DRC amid the resurgence of the M23 insurgency. The meeting focused on deploying a SADC regional force to replace the East African Community force, which Kinshasa had sought to withdraw, and on advancing the anticipated timeline for the SADC military deployment.