Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, has directed his country’s troops to start withdrawing from the Southern Africa military (SAMIDRC) peacekeeping mission in eastern DR Congo. Chakwera cited a ceasefire, declared unilaterally by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, as the rationale for his decision, stating that the withdrawal of Malawian troops would pave the way for peace negotiations. At least 20 peacekeepers, including Malawians, lost their lives in recent clashes that led to the rebel capture of Goma, intensifying pressure on Malawi to act. However, the ceasefire has failed to take effect and the rebels have now reportedly taken the mining town of Nyabibwe as well. Although the exact timeline for the troop pullout remains unspecified, officials have confirmed that operational details have been communicated to both the DR Congo president and the regional bloc.
Source: BBC