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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a blessed country.
It has probably all the key minerals under the sun. It is the world’s biggest cobalt producer and its second biggest producer of copper. It has about 700 million carats in proven diamond reserves and ranks among the world’s top five in terms of endowment and production.

It is the world’s number one coltan producer. It met 41 percent of global tantalum demand in 2023, making the country the top producer of the mineral.

Yet, this abundance of every valuable mineral in that expansive Sadc country could, instead of it being a blessing, be the proverbial curse.

Everyone, from local villagers, militias, politicians and businesses to regional figures and nabobs on Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange wants a share of that everything. Most unfortunately the demand is not orderly, but a stampede where guns and bombs rule.

Thus, DRC has a protracted history of instability and war, the latest phase of which is underway in the east of that great country. The most prominent protagonist in the flare up which started in 2022 is the Tutsi-led M23, which has active support from one of DRC’s eastern neighbours. In recent weeks, the rebels toppled government forces out of two major cities in that direction — Goma and Bukavu — and are marching further towards the west.

Sadc has always been seized with the security situation in DRC over almost the past 30 years. On a Sadc mandate, our army got involved there in 1998 when rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda threatened to overthrow President Laurent Kabila. It demonstrated that supreme Zimbabwean strength when whipping the rebels and their backers out of key positions. Peace deals were signed as well. Substantial stability returned but after our troops left in 2002, new rebellions erupted everywhere in the east.

M23

Sadc continued supporting the DRC government to achieve durable peace. In December 2023, the bloc deployed 5 000 soldiers drawn from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania to support the army against the M23.

Unfortunately, the past few months have been difficult for the Sadc mission, resulting in the M23 advancing so fast that Goma and Bukavu fell within 20 days of each other.

As the guns boomed, Sadc was busy exploring a political solution to the conflict. Angola is leading the Luanda Process. The East African Community (EAC), of which DRC is a member too, as well as Rwanda, has its own peace process. Sadc and the EAC recently agreed to collaborate towards peace.
Next week, Angola will host the DRC government and the The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)for peace talks.

Just on Thursday, President Mnangagwa, as Sadc chairman, hosted an extraordinary summit to discuss the security situation in the DRC. The summit resolved to withdraw its troops as dialogue intensifies. This was an important step which we hope must be reciprocated by the M23 and its regional backer.

However, we strongly urge the leadership of DRC and the Congolese people to lead in the quest for sustainable peace and security instead of acquiescing to foreign fortune hunters.