DRC : a few days before the end of its mandate, the EAC regional force recommends its renewal

The regional force of the Community of East African States (EAC) in reinforcement in the province of North Kivu (eastern DRC) following the occupation of the rebels of the M23, recommends to extend its mandate to beyond September 8. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

This wish was expressed by Aden Duale, Kenya’s Defense Cabinet Secretary.

“We have recommended to the DRC government to consider extending the mandate of the EAC Regional Force beyond the September 8 deadline in order to preserve the achievements of the regional force”, he announced at the end of last week.

EAC Member States had decided on Wednesday, May 31, during the 21st EAC Summit, to renew the mandate of the EAC Regional Force in the DRC until September 8, 2023. This mandate was to end Thursday, June 1.

Two heads of state, William Ruto of Kenya and Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, who is the current chairperson of the EAC, took part in this summit which ended in Bujumbura, the commercial capital of Burundi.

For three days, the participants assessed the conduct of military operations carried out by the EAC regional force in North Kivu.

“The summit also decided on the pre-cantonment of the M23 rebels in Rumangabo (North Kivu) under the supervision of the facilitator of the Regional Force and the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo). In addition, the departure of the EAC force can be anticipated at the end of an evaluation scheduled for June 15”, says the final communiqué sanctioning the Bujumbura summit.

The population of North Kivu and citizen movements continue to decry a mixed assessment of the elements of the EAC regional force in the DRC, with the exception of the Burundian contingent deployed in the Masisi area.