Rwanda has granted safe passage to troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who had been deployed to North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to fight the M23 rebel group, allowing them to return home via Rwandan territory.
SADC deployed these troops to the DRC in December 2023 to support Congolese government forces in their ongoing battle against M23 insurgents.
Since late January 2025, these forces—operating under the SAMIDRC mission—have been stranded in Goma and the nearby area of Mubambiro, following heavy defeats suffered by the Congolese army coalition at the hands of M23.
M23 recently demanded that the SADC troops leave Goma immediately, accusing them of participating in attacks launched by Kinshasa’s coalition forces in Goma on April 11, 2025.
The troops were accused of taking part in these assaults, even as SADC has officially disbanded its mission in eastern Congo.
Because air evacuation is reportedly impossible due to the damaged state of Goma Airport—the one used by the troops on arrival—it is expected that they will withdraw by land through Rwanda.
Sources indicate that SADC has been in negotiations with the Government of Rwanda for several days, and Rwanda has now agreed to allow the troops to pass through its territory, according to three diplomats familiar with the talks who spoke to Reuters.
The same report noted that two other sources confirmed the weapons of the SADC troops will be confiscated for security reasons while on Rwandan soil, and will only be returned to the troops once they exit Rwandan territory.
