SADC Leaders Extend Congo Peace Mission till Next Year

Southern African leaders have agreed to extend the deployment of regional troops in conflict-ridden eastern Congo for another year while pledging to work towards a peaceful resolution in Mozambique. The decision was made during a Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Harare, Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Currently, nearly 5,000 SADC troops, mainly from South Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi, are stationed in eastern Congo, a region troubled by armed violence involving over 100 groups and various foreign forces fighting for control over land, mineral resources, and power. Following a recent rise in tensions, UN peacekeepers will also remain longer than initially planned. Furthermore, the bloc resolved to push for a peaceful resolution to Mozambique’s electoral dispute, which has resulted in violent protests that have left 30 people dead.

SOURCE: AP NEWS