HARARE – Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have agreed to begin a “phased withdrawal” of their military forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where regional troops have suffered mounting casualties against M23 rebels.

The decision came during a virtual emergency summit hosted by Zimbabwe, marking SADC’s third urgent meeting on the DR Congo crisis in recent months. The 16-member bloc deployed forces two years ago to support Congolese government troops fighting M23 rebels who have seized large territories in the mineral-rich east.

“Even though the troops would be withdrawn from DR Congo, the bloc would continue to support interventions aimed at bringing lasting peace,” SADC leaders said in a statement after the meeting. They called for diplomatic and political solutions to the conflict but provided no specific timeline for the withdrawal.

The announcement follows significant battlefield losses, including the capture of Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city, in January. That assault resulted in the deaths of at least 19 soldiers from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania.

Last month, M23 rebels further expanded their territory by seizing Bukavu, the region’s second-largest city, demonstrating their growing military advantage despite regional intervention.

South Africa, which leads the mission with 2,900 troops committed, has faced intense domestic criticism following soldier casualties. The mission was supposed to include approximately 5,000 troops divided between South African, Malawian, and Tanzanian forces, though exact deployment numbers remain unclear.

“The rebels are very strong. This is a full-on war and South Africa is hardly ready for any such war,” said Sandile Swanda, a South African political analyst. “No country in the SADC region is ready for this war – psychologically, militarily and politically.”

Malawi had already announced in February its intention to withdraw forces, though without specifying reasons.

The conflict has devastated eastern Congo, killing thousands and displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians. Regional observers have expressed growing concern that continued fighting could spark a wider conflict involving neighboring countries, particularly Rwanda, which has been accused of supporting the M23 rebels.

Previous diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict have repeatedly failed, and the withdrawal announcement comes without any apparent breakthrough in peace negotiations.