South Africa Pulls Troops From Congo After Deaths.
South Africa said it would withdraw its fighters from East Congo, where the war is continuing. The news came as President Cyril Ramaphosa plans to meet with other leaders in Tanzania.
South African state news worker Sophie Mokoena shared the news. She said troops had told their kin about hard times at their bases.
Malawi made the same move earlier. Its head, Lazarus Chakwera, asked his forces to come home from the area. Both lands had sent troops as part of a group trying to bring peace.
Armed men killed 20 peace workers last week. Among them were 14 South Africans and three from Malawi. This happened when rebels took over Goma, the main town in North Kivu.
Chakwera said he wanted to "respect the peace deal between sides." Yet fights go on in the area.
Ramaphosa made a big speech about Congo. "Africa needs peace to do well," he said. Our peace workers in East Congo show we want to help end this long war."
A war scholar, Helmoed Heitman, said the peacework failed. He wrote that peace troops, UN teams, and Congo's army could not stop the rebels.
"The troops must stay in their bases," he wrote. "They cannot do their work. We must see this truth before we think what to do next."
The rebels have made many people run from their homes. This has hurt the area badly. Some say near lands help these armed groups, which makes peace harder to find.
The meeting brings two big groups of lands together. They hope this will help them work better to end the war.
The leaders want to stop the fighting, help people in need, and let those who ran come home. Past meetings did not fix things. But this one might help Africa deal with wars in new ways.
These leaders must do more than talk. They need to make real changes to help people.
South Africa said it would withdraw its fighters from East Congo, where the war is continuing. The news came as President Cyril Ramaphosa plans to meet with other leaders in Tanzania.
South African state news worker Sophie Mokoena shared the news. She said troops had told their kin about hard times at their bases.
Malawi made the same move earlier. Its head, Lazarus Chakwera, asked his forces to come home from the area. Both lands had sent troops as part of a group trying to bring peace.
Armed men killed 20 peace workers last week. Among them were 14 South Africans and three from Malawi. This happened when rebels took over Goma, the main town in North Kivu.
Chakwera said he wanted to "respect the peace deal between sides." Yet fights go on in the area.
Ramaphosa made a big speech about Congo. "Africa needs peace to do well," he said. Our peace workers in East Congo show we want to help end this long war."
A war scholar, Helmoed Heitman, said the peacework failed. He wrote that peace troops, UN teams, and Congo's army could not stop the rebels.
"The troops must stay in their bases," he wrote. "They cannot do their work. We must see this truth before we think what to do next."
Leaders Meet in Tanzania
Many leaders will meet in Tanzania on February 8. They want to find new ways to help. Congo's Felix Tshisekedi, Rwanda's Paul Kagame, and others from South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania will be there.The rebels have made many people run from their homes. This has hurt the area badly. Some say near lands help these armed groups, which makes peace harder to find.
The meeting brings two big groups of lands together. They hope this will help them work better to end the war.
The leaders want to stop the fighting, help people in need, and let those who ran come home. Past meetings did not fix things. But this one might help Africa deal with wars in new ways.
These leaders must do more than talk. They need to make real changes to help people.
