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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 28650, member: 2262"] SADC leaders decided to pull their troops out of eastern Congo as they sought peace without fighting. President Mnangagwa led a special online meeting yesterday to discuss this big decision. The group had sent soldiers from Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa to help stop the battles between Congo government forces and the M23 armed group. These fights killed thousands of people and forced millions to leave their homes, including many women, children, elderly folks, and disabled persons. SADC first put troops there on December 15, 2023, after they held a special meeting in Windhoek, Namibia. They wanted to back the Congo government against rebel groups that started causing trouble again. President Mnangagwa called their withdrawal decision "bold" but promised SADC would stay involved with Congo's security problems. He thanked all countries that sent troops and asked everyone to help ensure soldiers could come home safely with their equipment. He pushed for everyone to follow what SADC and the East African Community agreed on together, especially merging peace plans from Luanda and Nairobi. The president stressed that talking remains essential for lasting peace in Congo. He said the sacrifice of troops who served there matters greatly. This decision followed a report from another meeting led by Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan held earlier. Mnangagwa warned that Congo's problems could spread across borders if not fixed. SADC welcomed international efforts to end the fighting, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773. Mr. Elias Magosi, SADC Executive Secretary, emphasized protecting the joint SADC-EAC platform since both Congo and Rwanda trust it. He described eastern Congo's security situation as very concerning, with M23 attacking government forces, SADC troops, and civilians. These attacks captured cities and towns, causing deaths, injuries, and many displaced people. The situation became worse when M23 blocked the main supply routes and captured both Goma International Airport and Kavumu Airport in Bukavu. After two hours of talks, officials announced they would pull out their mission from eastern Congo. Several Zimbabwe officials attended this meeting, including Foreign Affairs Minister Professor Amon Murwira, Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, National Security Minister Lovemore Matuke, Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi, and Defence Forces Commander General Valerio Sibanda. They all heard about this major change in regional military strategy. [/QUOTE]

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