South Africa Risks Showdown With Rwanda Over Congo Mission

Tanzania, Malawi also contributing troops to Operation Thiba
No clarity on how operation in eastern Congo will be funded

A member of the UN’s Congo mission in the eastern town of Sake in November 2023.Photographer: Glody Murhabazi/AFP/Getty Images

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By Antony Sguazzin and Michael J Kavanagh

February 16, 2024 at 5:00 AM UTC

Updated on

February 16, 2024 at 2:22 PM UTC

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South Africa is leading a regional force that’s moving into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at the risk of being caught up in a conflict that has displaced 7 million people.

Operation Thiba is an initiative of the 16-nation Southern African Development Community, though it’s unclear how it will be funded. Troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi will begin to replace a United Nations force that’s been in Congo for 25 years and a year-old East African Community deployment. Neither has been able to stabilize a region that’s rich in tin, tantalum, gold and other metals.