Tanzania’s foreign affairs minister, January Makamba, has dismissed claims made by a local tabloid that Tanzanian peacekeepers were engaged in combat with the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The allegations come amidst escalating political tensions in the region, with DRC President accusing Rwanda of funding the M23 rebels.
Makamba took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to refute the claims, stating, “Tanzania is not at war with any armed group in the DRC.” He clarified that Tanzanian troops were deployed as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC, known as SAMIDRC, which commenced in December of the previous year.
The minister emphasized that the deployment of SAMIDRC was in response to a request from the DRC government to address security challenges in the eastern part of the country. Various SADC member states, including Tanzania, are contributing troops and resources to the mission.
Makamba’s statement came in response to a report in the February 6-12, 2024 edition of the Kiswahili tabloid, 𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒊, which claimed that Tanzanian forces were actively engaging the M23 armed group. However, Makamba dismissed the reporting as misleading, underlining that Tanzanian forces operate under a unified command within the mission.
He further revealed that Tanzania supported both the Luanda and Nairobi processes, regional political mechanisms aimed at resolving the conflict in the eastern DRC. The Nairobi Process focuses on disarming rebel groups within the DRC, while the Luanda Process aims to alleviate tensions between the DRC and its neighbor, Rwanda. The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, a claim which Rwanda vehemently denies.
It is worth noting that Tanzania is the tenth-largest contributor globally to United Nations peacekeeping operations, showcasing its commitment to international peace and security.