Peace in the DRC requires leadership and collective will

Dear Fellow South African,

In the last two weeks, 14 of our soldiers have been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after coming under attack.

They were killed in violation of a ceasefire agreement between the DRC and Rwanda facilitated by President João Lourenço of Angola.

South African soldiers are in the DRC as part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) and the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). The UN Security Council has roundly condemned the attack, reiterating that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes.

As a nation, we pay tribute to our fallen soldiers. They are South African and African heroes.

They lost their lives in defence of the defenceless: the men, women and children who are the victims of one of the world’s most protracted conflicts.

Since 1996, the conflict in the DRC, and the hunger and disease it has caused, has claimed millions of lives. According to the UN, more than seven million Congolese have been internally displaced.

The various state and non-state actors involved in the conflict have been implicated in grave human rights abuses including large-scale attacks on civilians, abductions and extrajudicial killings, torture, the recruitment of child soldiers, forced labour, human trafficking and mass rape.

South Africa has been a troop contributing country to MONUSCO since 1999 and we have lent our support to the SADC mission deployed to the region in 2023. This is anchored in our commitment towards silencing the guns across Africa.

Supporting peacebuilding and the resolution of conflict in Africa has been a cornerstone of our country’s foreign policy since the advent of democracy, as we have sought to draw on our experience of political dialogue and national reconciliation.

Since 1994 our country has contributed to UN peace operations in Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, Nepal and to the UN-AU Mission in Darfur. South Africa has been part of fostering peace in Lesotho, Burundi and South Sudan. In 2022 we hosted negotiations that brokered a ceasefire between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Last year marked the end of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) of which SANDF troops formed part. The mission was deployed for three years to combat extremist groups in the Cabo Delgado province. The government of Mozambique has praised SAMIM for its efforts to restore stability to the region and for contributing to a vastly improved security situation.

In the wake of the tragic killing of our soldiers, some have questioned South Africa’s presence in the eastern DRC. Some have said that we have no business being there.

But violence and conflict in Africa is the business of all Africans. The humanitarian, economic and social effects of these conflicts are felt across borders and regions. Instability in any part of the continent affects the prospects for growth and development across the continent.

For a lasting peace to be secured in the eastern DRC, there must be an immediate end to hostilities and a ceasefire that must be respected by all.

South Africa’s participation in the DRC is subject to the SAMIDRC mission, which has operational timeframes and an end date. The mission will wind down in accordance with the implementation of various confidence-building measures and when the ceasefire we have called for takes root.

As this happens, securing the safety of our troops remains paramount. The situation in the areas where our troops are stationed remains highly volatile. We are making every effort to ensure that our soldiers are well-equipped and sufficiently supported during the mission.

A ceasefire is a necessary precondition for peace talks that must include all parties to the conflict whether they are state or non-state actors, Congolese or non-Congolese.

Diplomacy is the most sustainable pathway to achieving a lasting peace for the DRC and its people.

We call on all parties to fully embrace the current diplomatic efforts that are aimed at finding a peaceful resolution, including honouring the Luanda Process.

Strong political will and leadership will be required from all parties to the conflict, as well as respect for the territorial integrity of the DRC.

We endorse the call by the UN Security Council for the reversal of the territorial expansion by the M23 rebel group and for the exit of external forces from the DRC.

Achieving a lasting peace and security for the eastern DRC and the region requires the collective will of the community of nations.

As a country, we have a duty of support towards the nations of Africa whose solidarity and material support helped secure our liberation. South Africa will not let up in its support to the people of the DRC so that they may have the peace and security they rightfully deserve.

With best regards,