President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday reaffirmed the country’s commitment to a diplomatic and political solution that prioritises the stability of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries, and safeguards the peace and well-being of the Congolese people.

Ramaphosa returned from a Heads of State summit in Tanzania on the conflict in the eastern DRC, this after 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members were recently killed in the eastern DRC.

They were part of a multinational Southern African Development Community (SADC) force deployed to stabilise the region amid ongoing clashes between the DRC military and M23 rebels.

Ramaphosa said the deaths of the country’s soldiers alongside troops from other African nations signalled an alarming escalation in the conflict.

He explained that the strategic city of Goma in the eastern DRC was now under the control of the M23 rebel group fighting the Congolese army, with the M23 having made advances in other towns.

The Heads of State Summit brought together the East African Community (EAC) and the SADC to consider the deteriorating security situation in the eastern DRC and to find a sustainable political solution.

“As a member of SADC and the African Union, we have a responsibility to support all efforts to bring peace and stability to our fellow African nation, which has been wracked by war for more than three decades,” Ramaphosa said.

He added that South Africa had steadfastly maintained that diplomacy was the most sustainable solution to this conflict.

“…while we are involved in peacekeeping missions, South Africa actively participates in the various diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in the eastern DRC.

“These include the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Great Lakes Region, the Luanda Peace Process led by the President of Angola, and the EAC-led Nairobi Process facilitated by former president of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Ramaphosa explained.

He believes that to resolve a conflict all State and non-State participants must be involved in the negotiations that lead to a resolution.

“We are pleased that this approach was adopted and reconfirmed at the SADC extraordinary summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe two weeks ago,” he said.

He explained that several of the countries in the EAC bloc, such as Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and Rwanda, share borders with the DRC and are directly impacted by the ongoing conflict.

It was, therefore, significant that the Heads of State of these countries and the President of the DRC were at the joint summit, he said.

“Having considered a report on the security situation in the eastern DRC, the summit reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire and a cessation of hostilities between the warring parties. A ceasefire will allow humanitarian aid corridors to operate and bring much needed supplies to the civilians caught in the crossfire,” Ramaphosa said.

The summit directed that the EAC/SADC Chiefs of Defence Forces meet within five days to develop a securitisation plan for Goma and the surrounding area, the reopening of Goma airport, the evacuation of civilians and the repatriation of the deceased.

“One of the most significant outcomes was that the joint summit agreed that direct negotiations and dialogue resume between all State and non-State parties, including the M23. This will take place under the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes,” he explained.

Ramaphosa said he was pleased that this inclusive approach was endorsed and adopted at the historic joint EAC/SADC summit by Kenyan President William Ruto and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“This is a major step forward. Unless all parties to the conflict are brought around the negotiating table, all diplomatic solutions will lack credibility and be unsustainable in the long term,” Ramaphosa said.

The joint summit affirmed the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC. This meant that a process must be developed for uninvited foreign armed forces to withdraw from the DRC, he noted.