Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have agreed that a regional force be immediately deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The decision was taken to quell the latest flare-up of violence that is sweeping across the northeast region of the country, where the DRC military has been fighting a resurgence of M23 rebels.
They made this resolution on Monday during an EAC summit in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame joined leaders of Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda, as well as Tanzania’s ambassador to Kenya.
“The problems affecting the region like the crisis in Congo need a collective approach from all regional members of the East African Community,” said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni after the meeting.
Thousands of people have been forcibly displaced in the latest wave of fighting between the government forces and rebels claiming to be part of the M23 group.
President Kenyatta said the regional force proposed by EAC leaders would work alongside local authorities and Monusco – a UN force in DRC – to disarm anyone bearing illegal weapons. DRC welcomed the security cooperation effort from the bloc but was against Rwanda’s participation in the force.
There are longstanding tensions between DRC and Rwanda dating back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, following a mass exodus of Rwandan Hutu refugees (who were accused of killing Tutsis) into eastern DRC.
Relations between the two countries improved when Tshisekedi entered into office in 2019, but soured after the M23 resurgence.
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