The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Monday strongly denied claims made by the M23 rebel group and its allies, alleging that the SADC's mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) participated in joint military operations in the eastern city of Goma.
The SADC expressed “deep concern” over the accusations, which had suggested SAMIDRC's involvement in military actions alongside the Congolese military (FARDC), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and the pro-government Wazalendo militia.
In a statement, the SADC clarified that SAMIDRC had not taken part in any joint operations as alleged, calling these claims "inaccurate and misleading." The bloc reaffirmed that SAMIDRC is in the process of carrying out a “structured and coordinated” withdrawal from Congo, in accordance with the decision made by the SADC Summit to terminate the SAMIDRC mission's mandate.
The SADC also reiterated its commitment to supporting peaceful efforts for lasting stability in eastern Congo and its agreements with the M23 leadership. It urged all parties involved to “act responsibly, refrain from spreading misinformation, and work together to de-escalate tensions and restore peace in the region.”
Since January, eastern Congo has been embroiled in a security and humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by a renewed offensive from the M23 rebel group, which has captured significant territory in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
The DRC, along with other nations, accuses neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, though Rwanda has consistently denied these allegations. In March, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met unexpectedly in Doha, where Qatar's emir mediated talks that led to calls for a ceasefire.
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More than 200 people died on Tuesday in a landslide triggered by heavy rains at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the country's mines ministry said on Wednesday.
The military spokesperson for the M23 rebel movement, Willy Ngoma, was killed in an army drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo early on Tuesday (24 February), according to a regional diplomat, a senior rebel figure and a Western adviser to the government.
Escalating clashes in South Kivu’s highlands are sending a rising flow of wounded to Fizi’s small general hospital, where staff warn they are running out of space and supplies as the conflict expands across remote areas.
More than 200 people were killed this week when a landslide caused part of the Rubaya coltan mine to collapse in North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said on Sunday (1 February). The disaster struck a rebel-controlled mining area during the rainy season.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
A train driver has died and several passengers have been injured after a high-speed train collided with an army lorry carrying military equipment at a level crossing in northern France on Tuesday morning (7 April), the local prefecture and railway operators said in separate statements.
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 from 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
Trade discussions between China and the U.S. are expected to remain virtual for now, with no major investment initiatives planned before a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The Russian T-90M tank is worth an estimated $4.5 million and was designed to dominate the battlefield. Yet this steel giant has repeatedly been destroyed by something far smaller, faster and thousands of times cheaper: the drone.
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards its east coast on Wednesday (8 April), South Korea’s military said, in a fresh show of force that underscored rising tensions despite brief signs of a possible thaw between the two sides.
The leader of Taiwan's largest opposition party used her first full day in mainland China to publicly pledge reconciliation, invoking the spirit of her party's founder, Sun Yat-sen, to call for unity whilst surprisingly praising the communist mainland’s developmental achievements.
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