The East African Community countries will continue to deploy their troops in the region to maintain peace until December 8, 2023. This decision was taken during the 22nd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of the EAC held in Nairobi, Kenya. The leaders of these seven countries agreed to extend the mandate of the regional force pending the evaluation report of the EAC Council of Ministers.
The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, who had expressed reservations about the effectiveness of this force in the fight against armed groups, was thanked by the other leaders for his commitment to the restoration of peace in the east of the country. Despite criticism of the EAC force’s cooperation with certain armed groups, the force’s mandate was extended for three months.
The EAC regional force was deployed in November last year to fight against armed groups plaguing the region, in particular the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group. However, President Tshisekedi had expressed doubts about the effectiveness of this force and its commitment to fight against armed groups.
At the summit, DRC Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde represented President Tshisekedi alongside leaders from Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya and an envoy from the Ugandan president. , Yoweri Museveni.
This decision to extend the presence of EAC troops in the region shows the continued commitment of the countries of the East African Community to support the search for lasting peace and security in the DRC. However, it remains to be seen whether this regional force will be able to solve the problem of armed groups and stabilize the situation in the east of the country.
The issue of security in eastern DRC is a major challenge for the Congolese government, and regional cooperation is essential to address it. Hoping that this extension of the mandate of the EAC force will be a further step towards the resolution of this complex problem and the restoration of peace in the region.