Calls for South Africa to withdraw its troops from eastern DR Congo continue to grow, with one military and defence expert saying withdrawing is now the only option for South Africa because it can no longer influence the military situation.
Darren Olivier, a director at African Defence Review with nearly two decades’ experience in conflict analysis, believes that South Africa should withdraw from DR Congo, “simply because it no longer has good options left to militarily influence the situation.”
Olivier said this during his InMyCrosshairs X Space broadcast while responding to a call by South African opposition Carl Niehaus of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF). The EFF has also called for an immediate withdrawal of South African troops from DR Congo, after 14 of them were killed in January.
South African leads a military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in eastern DR Congo. Malawi and Tanzania also have troops in the SADC mission known as SAMIDRC.
But Olivier said if South Africa withdraws unilaterally, without a SADC decision, “that also harms credibility and will bring South African economic and political costs long term.”
There are an estimated 1,000 South African and SADC Mission in the DRC troops surrounded by M23 rebels in Goma and Sake. Although not officially prisoners of war, their movements and supplies are controlled by the M23.
“South Africa is not in a strong position, but nor is it entirely without diplomatic options,” Olivier said. “Also, it’s not alone: The other SAMIDRC contributors, Malawi and Tanzania, still have their troops there alongside those from the SANDF and in the same position.”
“Withdrawing ‘immediately’ and unilaterally in a way that leaves all the equipment behind would be as catastrophic again as allowing the [other] troops to be surrounded in the first place, would be a betrayal of the rest of SAMIDRC, and would destroy South Africa’s credibility.
“However, this is not a situation that can last stably, forever, especially given the inconsistent availability of food and other vital supplies. It’s a bit of a standoff, but one with a time limit as conditions get ever less habitable for the troops in their surrounded bases,” he said.
“South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, and the rest of SADC should be more openly insisting on the urgent repatriation of the wounded and proper treatment for the soldiers who remain in [DR Congo], including a regular and adequate supply of food and water.”
The evacuation of up to 189 injured South African National Defense Force (SANDF) soldiers including five seriously wounded began on Monday, according to reports. Two pregnant SANDF soldiers are also being evacuated.
Some South African opposition politicians and members of the National Assembly have questioned the deployment of troops to conflict-ridden DR Congo, saying they were sent to protect mineral concessions controlled by people with links to South African businesspeople.
The EFF’s Niehaus said that “under the current circumstances, with the lack of financial support and armaments and material support for the SANDF soldiers in the DRC, they have to be withdrawn immediately because their safety and their effective functioning in whatever capacity they are supposedly sent there is not possible.”
He added that South African troops “have been sent there to die for the sake of other people’s wealth.”
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While South Africa should be committed to peace in the whole of Africa and support the Silencing of the Guns goal of the African Union, “we do not support the deployment of our troops without the necessary resources,” Niehaus said.
“Without a South African National Defence Force that has the capacity to operate in that war environment, that doesn’t have the logistical ability nor the financial backup nor the managerial capability and is fundamentally and deeply undermined by corruption,” Niehaus said, the SANDF “hasn’t got the capacity to fight those battles and therefore we have a responsibility in the pursuit of the protection of our soldiers to immediately withdraw them from the DRC.”
South Africa was leading the SAMIDRC deployment in the eastern DR Congo to bolster the Congolese army which is fighting the M23 rebels.
The Congolese army is fighting alongside the Burundi army, the genocidal FDLR, and a host of armed militias known as Wazalendo.
However, the coalition has failed to stop the M23 rebels who have seized Goma, North Kivu’s provincial capital and Bukavu, South Kivu’s provincial capital. – New Times
