Uhuru Kenyatta, facilitator in the East-African-Community-led peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has urged the countries of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) to fully deploy their troops in the east of the country – in order to buffer controlled areas from clashes between the government forces and rebels.
"The Facilitator urges the countries of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) to deploy and take up their positions urgently and without further delay throughout eastern DRC, and in the case of North Kivu, for the regional force to inter-pose itself between the fighting forces in areas where the withdrawal of the armed groups has been effected," he said in a statement cited by the media.
This is Kenyatta's first statement since the East African Community's (EAC) extraordinary summit in Bujumbura, which took place last Saturday. Although the ex-president did not attend the meeting, citing technical reasons, he endorsed the decisions that were made there. They included calls for an immediate ceasefire in the east of DR Congo, rebel withdrawals and new government-appointed timelines for these withdrawals.
Kenyatta wishes that the EACRF will protect civilians and prevent combat between the Congolese government forces and the Tutsi-led M23 militant group. The EAC force was authorized in 2022 to support peace efforts, but protesters in Goma, the capital of the troubled North Kivu province, demand that the regional force join the government's fight against M23.
The M23 stands apart among dozens of DRC militant groups; last year, the country's government accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Kigali denied. The movement was subject of separate peace talks in Luanda, Angola, and has since agreed to support the peace efforts and withdrew from several areas. However, the fighting between the group and the government forces continues.