DRC: East African regional Force starts pullout

The East African Community (EAC) regional force led by Kenya has begun its withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after Kinshasa accused the force of failing its mission.

The process began Sunday December 3 and it comes after Congolese authorities refused to renew the mandate of the force which arrived November last year in Congo’s restive eastern region fertile land for armed groups and rebel groups, including the powerful M23.

Congolese authorities called on the force to free the areas taken by the rebels. DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi openly called out the international force, except Burundi, arguing it has failed its mandate.

Following a Summit on 25 November, the EAC announced that the DRC “would not renew the mandate of the regional force beyond 8 December 2023”.

A first group of around 100 Kenyan soldiers from the regional force — which also includes Ugandan, Burundian and South Sudanese soldiers — left from Goma airport bound for Nairobi.
The forces are leaving amid ongoing fighting between the M23 group and the DRC army. The rebel group indicated on Sunday December 3 that it would retake areas vacated by the regional force following the departure.

“For the wellbeing of the civilian population, the M23 will recover and occupy all its areas that it handed over to the EAC-RF at the beginning of the peace process”, Lawrence Kanyuka, the rebel group’s spokesperson said in a statement.

“The M23 reiterates its commitment to resolve peacefully the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC”, he added. Congolese authorities have accused Rwanda of backing the rebel but Kigali has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and counter-attacked Kinshasa of supporting armed groups opposed to the regime of Paul Kagame.