In DRC, the East African force announces that it is now "fully deployed" in North Kivu

The Ugandan contingent of the East African force enters the DRC through the Bunagana border crossing on March 31, 2023. AFP - GLODY MURHABAZI

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

This force is supposed to restore peace and end the threat from armed groups, including the M23. This rebellion, supported by Rwanda according to the United Nations, has conquered part of North Kivu province for more than a year. Violence that has led to significant population movements, adding a humanitarian crisis to the security crisis. The EAC force is to oversee the planned withdrawal of the M23 and all contingents have now arrived.

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On 23 March, the Chiefs of Staff of the countries of the East African Community had recorded the delay in the withdrawal of the M23, due, according to them, to the delay in deploying the last contingents. Indeed, alongside the Kenyan and Burundian soldiers, who arrived respectively in mid-November and early March, Ugandan and South Sudanese soldiers were still expected.

The first crossed the border last Friday to begin taking up positions in Bunagana, the first locality occupied by the rebels since June 2022. As for the latter, they arrived in Goma in two stages this Sunday and Monday.

According to the EAC facilitator for this crisis, Uhuru Kenyatta, the various contingents are occupying the positions liberated by the M23 rebels, as foreseen in the latest roadmap. The former Kenyan president adds that this withdrawal is being verified by the various mechanisms put in place.

A development that makes Uhuru Kenyatta say that the M23 may be able to join the Nairobi process, the negotiations between the Congolese government and armed groups, the fourth round of which is due to take place this month.

Questions about the mandate of the EAC force

However, many questions arise about this force, observes our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi. In particular, the content of its mandate is not so clear to all stakeholders. Kinshasa insists on the offensive nature of the force, which the Ugandans deny for example. It is in this context that MEPs are wondering what this force will do in practice.

On March 31, Yoweri Museveni's son shared a photo of a smiling Ugandan soldier in the arms of an M23 fighter in Bunagana. He calls the photo a "beautiful picture" and adds that the U23s are his brothers and that there is no need to fight them, suggesting a dialogue instead. The day before, the Ugandan president himself said that his troops are not on Congolese soil to open fire on this movement sanctioned by the UN and described as terrorist by Kinshasa.

The shock wave of these media releases was felt as far as the People's Palace, the seat of the Congolese Parliament, especially since Angola has also made it clear that its 500 soldiers who are about to be deployed in the eastern part of the DRC will not have an offensive mandate. In view of what many describe as a cacophony, opposition MP Claudel-André Lubaya wants to know what is the mandate, mission and duration of this regional force? He also wants the status of the force agreement to be disclosed, as well as the current status of the areas supposed to be liberated by the M23.

While the M23 rebels are gradually withdrawing and have agreed with the regional force not to admit the Congolese army to the localities they have ceded to the regional force pending a dialogue with Kinshasa, the government signed and persists: there is no question of prohibiting its army from investing the localities left by the M23. Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya explained to the press on Monday evening in Kinshasa.

There is no way to prohibit the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from doing their work on the territory [...]

Patrick Muyaya

Claudel-André Lubaya addressed an oral question with debate to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula. Another oral question with debate was addressed to the newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Defense Jean-Pierre Bemba by the deputy of the majority Juvenal Munubo. It concerns the same subject.

► Read also: In eastern DRC, displaced people are multi-traumatized populations

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• DRC
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