More East African states deploy troops to DRC Congo

Arusha. With time running out, Burundi has confirmed it is sending troops for peacekeeping in eastern DR Congo.

The Burundi troops will be deployed today to join the East African Regional Force (EARF) already stationed in the troubled region, according to a statement issued by the East African Community (EAC).

The deployment is in line with the roadmap developed by the military chiefs of the EAC partner states.

The rest of the EAC partner states that will contribute troops will shortly deploy “within the agreed time frame,” the EAC said in the statement yesterday.

The deployment is part of the implementation of directives from the 20th extra-ordinary summit of EAC Heads of State held recently in Bujumbura.

This was similarly agreed upon by the EAC leaders on the sidelines of the 36th African Union (AU) summit held in Addis Ababa a fortnight ago.

February 28th was set as the timeline for constituting and deploying the EAC Monitoring and Verification Mechanism to monitor and verify the ceasefire and withdrawal by all armed groups.

Burundi is the current Chair of the EAC and is one of the countries within the broader region directly affected by the violence in eastern Congo.

On Thursday, Burundi’s president and chairperson of the EAC Heads of State Summit, Evariste Ndayishimiye, held talks with the commanders of the verification mechanisms.

The EAC’s regional leaders have committed to deploy troops for peacekeeping in the troubled eastern Congo, but not all of them have done so. Kenya, the immediate past EAC Chair, is leading the regional force (EARF) that was first deployed to the troubled North Kivu region in November last year.

Uganda, which is also directly affected by the bloody conflict in the area, has troops inside eastern DRC battling the ADF militants wreaking havoc also in Uganda.

South Sudan was recently reported to be prepared to send its troops to eastern DRC, but no word has been heard from Tanzania as to when it will follow suit. However, EAC secretary general Peter Mathuki has described the development as a clear sign of the bloc’s determination to restore peace and security there.

One of the breakthroughs, he said, in the effort was the AU’s pledge to commit funds for peacemaking from its Peace Fund.

“Other development partners and global bodies have also committed to continuing to support the process,” Dr Mathuki added in a press statement. However, the EAC boss was not wavering on the organisation’s resolve for an unconditional ceasefire and the withdrawal of all armed groups from the troubled zone.

He insisted that the ceasefire and withdrawal were key to curbing insecurity, which has cost thousands of lives.