A Southern African regional bloc announced a “phased withdrawal” of its troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The decision comes following the loss of at least a dozen soldiers in the eastern DRC since January. Leaders of the 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) met virtually to discuss the ongoing conflict in a region that has experienced three decades of unrest. The meeting took place after Angola stated that peace talks between the DRC and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group would commence next week. In a statement released after the summit, the group announced the termination of the DRC mission and directed a phased withdrawal of troops.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/13/southern-africa-regional-bloc-to-withdraw-troops-from-drc-amid-m23-advance?traffic_source=rss