Johannesburg - Southern African leaders on Sunday resolved
to provide 'immediate assistance' to the Army of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) against Congolese rebel leader Laurent
Nkunda's forces.
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) said
it would deploy a peacekeeping force in Congo 'if necessary.'
The Johannesburg summit of the regional group, in which Congo is a
member, was attended by heads of member governments, who resolved
that 'SADC should immediately provide assistance to the armed forces
of the DRC.'
Congo's government armed forces 'need to be assisted in order to
protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country,'
according to a communique from the meeting, which was attended by
Congolese President Laurent Kabila.
The summit resolved to 'immediately' send a team of military
experts to assess the situation in eastern Congo.
SADC blamed the 'intransigence' of renegade general Nkunda for the
breakdown of past regional peace agreements.
'SADC would not stand by and witness incessant and destructive
acts of violence by any armed groups against innocent people of DRC,'
the southern African leaders said at the end of a more than eight
hour meeting called chiefly to discuss Zimbabwe.
'If and when necessary,' SADC would send a peacekeeping force into
Kivu province, where the fighting is concentrated, the communique
said.
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