DRC: D`Salaam says sending troops to stabilise DRC

BY FLORIAN KAIJAGE

12th January 2013

Chairperson of SADC Troika on Politics, Defence and Security, President Jakaya Kikwete chairs yesterday’s session at State House in Dar es Salaam. With him are Madagascar President Andry Rajolina (R ), Namibia President Hifikepunye Pohamba (L) and Mozambique President Armando Guebuza. (Photo: State House)

Tanzania is among four Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries, which have pledged to send troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a bid to end a crisis between Kinshasa government and the rebels in the eastern part of the country.

This was revealed in Dar es Salaam yesterday during a media briefing at which a communiqué was read following a two-day Extraordinary Summit of the SADC’s organ on Political Defence and Security Cooperation.

The other countries that have also pledged to send troops under the Neutral International Force (NIF) are Malawi, Namibia and South Africa.

Reading the communiqué, the SADC Executive Secretary, Tomaz Salomao said the regional community urged the other member countries to follow suit.

“The Summit welcomed the pledges made by Malawi, Namibia South Africa and Tanzania to contribute to the deployment of the NIF and urged those who have not yet done so, to do so as a matter of urgency,” noted Salomao.

He added that the Summit welcomed the United Nations (UN) support for the deployment of the NIF through the proposed UN Framework concept for Intervention Brigade in the Eastern DRC and expressed its readiness to work with UN.

Salomao said the summit, attended by four heads of state and governments noted with appreciation the good collaboration between SADC and the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on the development in the Eastern DRC ant it reiterated the call for an urgent attention to the grave humanitarian situation in the DRC.

However, when asked on the size of the contribution from countries that have made pledges, President Jakaya Kikwete who chaired the Summit said that aspect was yet to be determined.

He intoned: “The contribution is yet to be determined as there are matters which are being worked upon especially on who will be doing what in DRC.

“These include matters such as logistics while there are some countries that are discussing the matter (deployment of troops) and are yet to make commitment.”

SADC consists of 14 countries. They include Angola, which is considered well equipped with experienced and trained army. However, to date it has not entered pledge.

On the fate of recent negotiations between Kinshasa government and M-23 rebels in Kampala, Uganda following decision to send international Force to DRC, President Kikwete said the deployment of troops was made by ICGLR and is now supported by SADC and therefore did not in any way contradict Kampala talks.

No timeline has been drawn for such deployment of troops.

On Madagacar, which was one of the top agenda, the communiqué said the Summit ‘received a brief from President Andry Rajoelina and welcomed the developments in that country, in particular on the commitment to ensure that the Roadmap is implemented to the letter and spirit in order to take the country out of the crisis.’

Whereas commending President Kikwete and former Mozambique President, Joachim Chissano, the SADC mediator in Madagascar for their efforts to finding solution and restoring constitutional normalcy in the country, the Summit reiterated that the Roadmap remains the only viable mechanism for ending the crisis in Madagascar.

The most challenging matters for Madagascar is SADC position that former president Mark Ravaromanana should be allowed back home unconditionally by Rajoelina’s government and that the duo should not run for presidency during election slated for May this year.

Ravaromanana was forced to resign in March 2009 in the aftermath of several weeks of demonstrations by Rajoelina’s supporters and the former has heeded to SADC call on presidency while the latter’s word is still awaited.

On the Zimbabwe agenda, the SADC Summit urged the political stakeholders in Zimbabwe to expedite the finalization of the constitutional making process on the outstanding issues in order to pave the way for peaceful credible, free, and fair elections.

It also commended its facilitator, President Jacom Zuma of South Africa, for his efforts on solving Zimbabwe situation and mandated him to continue to engage the political stakeholders.

Apart from President Kikwete and President Zuma, the summit was also attended by Namibia’s President Hifikepunye Pohamba and President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN