By A Correspondent

Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has directed the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to begin preparations for the withdrawal of its troops from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the recent deaths of three soldiers in combat.

The Malawian troops are part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), a regional initiative established to assist the country in combating armed insurgents. The mission was extended by SADC towards the end of 2024.

In a statement released on Wednesday, February 5, the Government of Malawi confirmed the plans to withdraw its troops from the DRC. The statement read:

“President Chakwera has ordered the MDF (Malawi Defense Force) commander to begin preparations for the withdrawal of Malawian troops… to honour the declaration of a ceasefire by the warring parties there and to pave the way for their planned negotiations towards a lasting peace.”

Malawi’s Information Minister, Moses Kunkuyu, told the BBC Newsday programme that the planned withdrawal was made in good faith. He added that a meeting of southern African leaders held last week in Tanzania, alongside the Africa Energy Summit, resulted in a resolution calling for a ceasefire from all parties involved in the conflict. This decision was made to create space for peaceful negotiations. Kunkuyu explained:

“It is pursuant to that agreement that the president of Malawi has seen it fit to contribute to the peace-building effort by withdrawing troops from the region so that there is that peaceful negotiation.”

Though the withdrawal date has not been specified, Kunkuyu indicated that only the “operational aspects” remained to be finalized.

He also mentioned that the decision had been communicated to both the president of the DRC and the Southern African bloc.

The Malawian president has been under pressure to pull out the country’s forces following the deaths of peacekeepers. Similarly, South Africa has faced calls for troop withdrawal, but President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to keep South African troops in the DRC, as they are part of the SAMIDRC mission, which has set operational timelines and an end date.

Malawi, Tanzania, and South Africa have all lost soldiers in the ongoing conflict in the DRC, particularly during clashes with the M23 rebel group in the eastern region.

In related developments, a rebel alliance, including M23 fighters, declared a ceasefire on Tuesday for humanitarian reasons.