In a note issued after the extraordinary summit of the SADC Troika for defense and security, which took place on Saturday in Lusaka, Zambia, the regional organization reiterated "SADC's support to the two Governments in order to achieve lasting peace, stability and security".
"The summit reiterated its unconditional commitment to provide diplomatic and military support to the Government and people of DRCongo in order to seek lasting solutions to the violent conflict in Eastern DRCongo, and pledged to intensify its public diplomacy on the role and successes of SADC peace support missions, including SAMIM (SADC mission in Mozambique) and SAMIDRC (SADC mission in DRCongo), in order to avoid negative external narratives that could compromise the success of SADC peace support missions".
The statement does not specifically clarify what type of support will now be provided to Mozambique, but the Mozambican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation said, on Saturday, that the SADC military mission will leave the country due to financial constraints.
"SAMIM is facing some financial problems and we (Mozambique) also have to take care of our troops and we would have difficulty paying for SAMIM. Countries are not being able to put in the necessary money (...)", declared to the Mozambican public television channel Verónica Macamo, without giving specific dates, on the sidelines of the summit.
Although the official statement does not address the issue of troops leaving Cabo Delgado, SADC said that, during the summit, the regional organization received the report on operations in northern Mozambique, reiterating its support for the country in achieving peace.
"The summit reiterated the regional commitment expressed in the SADC Mutual Defense Pact that 'an armed attack against a Member State shall be considered a threat to regional peace and security'".
SAMIM has been in Mozambique since mid-2021 and, in August 2023, SADC approved the extension of SAMIM's mission for another 12 months, until July 2024, providing for a plan for the progressive withdrawal of forces from the eight countries in the region that the integrate.
SAMIM comprises troops from eight SADC contributing countries, namely Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia, "working in collaboration with the Armed Defense Forces of Mozambique and other troops deployed to Cabo Delgado".
The province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency for six years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The insurgency, which has intensified since December with several attacks on populations and armed forces, has led to a military response since July 2021, with support first from Rwanda, with more than 2000 military personnel, and from SADC, liberating districts next to construction projects gas.
In addition to the situation in Mozambique, the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo has long been the scene of armed actions by more than 120 armed groups fighting for a share of the region's gold and other natural resources, while carrying out mass murders.
The result is one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises, with around seven million people displaced, many of them beyond the reach of aid.
