By MOZTIMES
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo will attend the Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) this Friday in Harare, where the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will be assessed, the Presidency of the Republic announced in a statement.
Doubts arose about Chapo’s participation in the summit after the Presidency announced the postponement of his trip to Harare without explaining the reasons behind the decision.
The complex crisis in the Congo involves several other countries from the SADC and East African Community regions in addition to the M23 Tutsi rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania, all countries bordering Mozambique, have deployed troops to the DRC as part of the SADC mission in the Congo (SAMIDRC) to help combat the M23 rebels.
Rwanda, which has over 4,000 military personnel and police stationed in the northern province of Cabo Delgado to support Mozambique in its fight against the jihadist insurgency, is the main backer of the M23 rebels. This support is largely attributed to the ethnic ties between Tutsis in Rwanda and those in the Congo, who constitute the majority of the M23.
At the SADC summit, Daniel Chapo will face a difficult position: whether to condemn Rwanda’s involvement in the Congo conflict or to defend Rwanda, risking opposition from key strategic allies such as South Africa and Tanzania. (MT)
