The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has begun withdrawing its peacekeeping forces on April 29 from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following the end of the regional bloc’s mandate in March 2025.
Troops, primarily from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania, are currently being evacuated overland through Rwanda’s Rusumo border post en route to a designated departure site in Tanzania, from where they will be airlifted to their home countries.
The process is part of a wider diplomatic agreement facilitated in March between SADC and the M23 rebel group, which has been a central force in the ongoing conflict in North Kivu.
The withdrawal comes amid a volatile security environment. Recent fighting around Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu now under the control of M23 rebels, forced the closure of Goma International Airport and complicated evacuation logistics. Nevertheless, footage circulating on social media and Rwandan state-aligned outlets has confirmed the movement of convoys transporting soldiers and military equipment across the Congo-Rwanda border at Rubavu. Rwandan forces have reportedly provided security escorts for the transit, following Kigali’s authorisation for the use of its territory to support the SADC mission’s exit.
Originally deployed in May 2023, the SADC force—known as SAMIDRC—was tasked with assisting Congolese forces in countering rebel insurgencies in the east. However, the mission suffered heavy losses, including the deaths of 14 South African soldiers during clashes in January. While recent Doha-brokered talks between the DRC government and the M23-led Alliance Fleuve Congo have produced cautious optimism, the humanitarian toll remains staggering: more than one million people have been displaced since the start of 2025. As the troops withdraw, questions remain over the future stability of the region and the DRC’s ability to manage the crisis unaided.