Goma, DR Congo, Nov 3 (AFP\/APP): A decision by East African leaders to strengthen security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is gaining pace, with Kenya’s recent announcement of a military deployment to the troubled region.<\/p>\n
Scores of armed groups roam the DRC’s east, many of them a legacy of full-blown wars that erupted in the final decade of the 20th century.<\/p>\n
The M23 rebel group, which Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing, has recently seized swathes of territory in eastern Congo, for example, inflaming regional tensions.<\/p>\n
But there are also a proliferating number of conventional armies operating in the region. Here is a fact file on their deployments.<\/p>\n
– EAC regional force –
\nIn June, the leaders of the seven-nation East African Community announced the creation of a regional military force to restore peace in eastern DRC.<\/p>\n
The force will be under Kenyan command — but details about its size and scope remain unclear.<\/p>\n
A headquarters in eastern Congo’s main city, Goma, is already in place, but troops have yet to arrive.<\/p>\n
The EAC comprises Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda and the DRC itself.<\/p>\n
– Kenya –
\nOn Wednesday, Kenyan President William Ruto announced that he was sending troops to the DRC as part of the EAC force.<\/p>\n
Kenya’s military said that nearly 1,000 soldiers had received training, but did not specify how many soldiers would be deployed, nor when.<\/p>\n
– Rwanda –
\nA contingent of Rwandan troops will be deployed along the border with its neighbour DRC as part of the EAC force.<\/p>\n
Kinshasa objected to Kigali’s participation in any operations within its territory over accusations that the country is backing M23 rebels.<\/p>\n
– Uganda –
\nUgandan troops have been present in the eastern DRC provinces of North Kivu and Ituri since November 2021.<\/p>\n
They deployed as part of a joint operation with the Congolese army against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group, which the Islamic State group claims as its Central African affiliate.<\/p>\n
In September, the operation was extended for two months pending the deployment of the East African force.<\/p>\n
Ugandan troops are expected to operate under the regional force once it launches. The size of the country’s current deployment is unclear.<\/p>\n
– Burundi –
\nBurundi sent troops to the DRC’s South Kivu province, with which it shares a border, in August. The size of its deployment is unclear.<\/p>\n
Burundian rebel groups have rear bases in South Kivu.<\/p>\n
– South Sudan –
\nA South Sudanese contingent is expected to deploy to the northern Congolese province of Haut-Uele, with which it shares a border, according to a DRC army officer who declined to be named.<\/p>\n
– United Nations –
\nSeveral other states have also deployed troops to eastern DRC as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the region, known as MONUSCO.
\nThe force has a current strength of about 16,000 uniformed personnel and it has suffered more than 200 fatalities, according to the UN.<\/p>\n
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are the top three military contributors to the peacekeeping mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Goma, DR Congo, Nov 3 (AFP\/APP): A decision by East African leaders to strengthen security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is gaining pace, with Kenya’s recent announcement of a military deployment to the troubled region. Scores of armed groups roam the DRC’s east, many […]<\/p>\n
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