President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Friday to attend an extraordinary summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government. The summit will focus on the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following recent violence in the eastern region.
South Africa has faced heavy losses in the DRC, where 13 South African soldiers were killed while on a peacekeeping mission. The soldiers were part of the SADC Mission, which has been working to counter the M23 rebel group and the Rwanda Defence Force militia, who have been attacking the Congolese Armed Forces and peacekeepers.
The summit will be chaired by Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the current SADC Chairperson. The discussions will build on the outcomes of an earlier meeting on January 28, 2025, which included the SADC Organ Troika, the DRC, and other troop-contributing countries.
President Ramaphosa is accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola; Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga; and Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
