Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has directed the country’s military to begin preparations for a withdrawal from the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The decision follows the tragic deaths of at least 20 peacekeepers, including three Malawians, during a recent escalation of fighting involving the M23 rebel group, which seized the key city of Goma in North Kivu province last week.
Chakwera’s order comes after a meeting of Southern African leaders in Tanzania, where a resolution was passed urging all parties to declare a ceasefire to facilitate peaceful negotiations. The Malawian president stated that his decision to withdraw troops aligns with this call for peace, despite ongoing violence in the region.
In a televised statement on Wednesday evening, Chakwera emphasized that the withdrawal would “pave the way for their planned negotiations towards a lasting peace.”
The Malawian government’s decision to withdraw its forces is seen as a gesture of goodwill and an attempt to contribute to the peace-building efforts in the region. Malawi’s Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu said the move was made “in good faith” and in accordance with the agreement reached during the meeting of southern African leaders.
However, the exact timeline for the troop withdrawal remains unclear. Kunkuyu confirmed that only “operational aspects” remained, and that the decision had been communicated to both the government of the DRC and the Southern African regional bloc.
Meanwhile, despite the M23 rebel group’s declaration of a unilateral ceasefire on Monday, fighting has resumed in various parts of eastern DRC. The rebels have reportedly captured the mining town of Nyabibwe in South Kivu province, escalating tensions in the region. Congolese authorities, now under immense pressure, have recruited hundreds of civilian volunteers to help defend the capital city of Bukavu.
The deaths of the peacekeepers—14 South Africans and three Malawians—have sparked calls for a reevaluation of the regional peacekeeping mission. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has resisted pressure to withdraw his country’s troops, asserting that they remain committed to the Southern African regional bloc’s military mission (SAMIDRC), which is slated to run until December 2025.
Since seizing Goma, the M23 rebels have continued to push for control of strategic territories in South Kivu, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. The UN has reported nearly 3,000 deaths in the M23’s violent campaign to capture Goma, with widespread fears of disease outbreaks like Mpox and cholera spreading beyond the city.
The international community remains concerned about the ongoing instability in the region, where the presence of armed groups continues to threaten civilian lives and regional peace. As the situation unfolds, the focus remains on the possibility of a ceasefire and peaceful negotiations, although the path to lasting peace seems uncertain.
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