On April 29, 2025, SADC forces began their discreet withdrawal from Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, crossing into Rwanda before heading toward Tanzania. The operation, conducted under the watchful eye of Rwandan security forces, exposed not just the battlefield realities in North Kivu, but also the undeniable dominance of Rwanda in the ongoing conflict.
About 57 soldiers — 32 South Africans, 16 Malawians, and 9 Tanzanians — along with trucks carrying military equipment, crossed the La Corniche border post in Rubavu District around 11 a.m. They were escorted by Rwanda Defence Force units across Rwandan territory toward the Rusumo crossing with Tanzania, from where they are expected to continue to Chato. The movement of at least seven trucks and several military vehicles marked a discreet but significant shift in the regional power balance.
The withdrawal follows an agreement signed on March 28 between the SADC mission and M23 rebels — a group widely considered a Rwandan proxy by Congolese authorities and several international actors. Under the deal, the rebels, effectively under Kigali’s influence, allowed SADC troops to leave the rebel-controlled areas with their weapons and equipment intact.
This episode laid bare the unavoidable position Rwanda now occupies in the eastern Congo conflict. Having brokered — directly or indirectly — the conditions of the withdrawal, Kigali demonstrated that no major military or political move in North Kivu can occur without its consent. SADC, originally deployed to support the Congolese government against the M23 advance, was left with no choice but to negotiate, not with Kinshasa’s enemies directly, but through the reality imposed by Rwandan-backed forces.
Although the Rwandan government facilitated the safe passage of the withdrawing troops, it was notably careful to avoid any public celebration. According to diplomatic and media sources, Kigali reportedly instructed domestic media outlets to remain discreet about the operation. There were no official press releases, no statements highlighting what could have been portrayed as a major diplomatic success — the organized retreat of an international mission through Rwandan territory, under Rwandan protection, from a city under rebel control.
This studied silence did little to hide the symbolic nature of the event. For the SADC forces, passing through Rwanda — the very country accused of sponsoring the forces that defeated them — carried a weight of semi-humiliation. It signaled the failure of a regional military intervention and underscored Rwanda’s decisive leverage over both the battlefield and the broader diplomatic scene.
While the SADC exit unfolded quietly, the strategic message was unmistakable: Kigali holds the keys to eastern Congo’s future, and even regional military coalitions must now move with its tacit approval.
Therwandan
