SADC force installs new mechanisms to ensure contingent effectiveness.

 

 Senior military leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission Force to of the DRC, have just put in place regular feedback mechanisms at all levels of command. According to their communication consulted, this initiative aims to guarantee adequate operational effectiveness and efficiency. This strategic option, she specifies, involves the chains of command as well as operational visits to the different contingents and units of the force headquarters. “Such visits are essential to enable the Force Commander and his leadership to interact with the troops and provide directives,” reads the official SADC website. With this in mind, the Force Commander carried out many of these visits to examine the state of operational readiness, we learn from the same source which also notes that “operational visits provide good feedback on how the force is carrying out its mandate to protect civilians and how it can be improved. At best, ensure good discipline and field feedback on operations, administration and logistics. Furthermore, SADC believes that military preparedness is essential to ensure that SAMIDRC troops are ready and able to fulfill the mandate effectively and efficiently. In this sense, soldiers are prepared for combat not only through their training, but also by ensuring that they are well supplied and equipped. “Combat readiness is highly dependent on an effective chain of supply, training, maintenance, inspection and feedback,” she said. Indeed, the Force Commander has made operational visits to where the Forces are deployed. During these visits, the Force Commander met with the troops and their commanders. To this activity is also added another advantage for the SAMIDRC leadership to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen coordination between SAMIDRC units and the National Army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and give directives on how and where to improve to achieve mission objectives. In particular, ensure cooperation to achieve effective protection of civilian populations. After the bombing of the displaced area in the city of Goma by the M23-RDF, SADC troops deployed in the DRC announced that they will carry out operations to neutralize M23 terrorists and maintain peace and security by protecting civilians and their property under imminent threat or attack. The deployment of the SAMIDRC was approved by the Extraordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government held in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia, on 8 May 2023, as a regional response to address the volatile security situation and deteriorated situation which prevails in the east of the DRC.