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East African heads of state on Tuesday unanimously agreed to extend the deployment of the regional military force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The decision happens a week after DR Congo military officials killed 43 and arrested 168 protestors who were demanding the withdrawal of East African troops and the United Nations peacekeeping mission from the troubled eastern DR Congo.
The mandate of the regional force was to end on 8 September, but the extension means that the troops will remain in eastern DR Congo for an additional three months, until 8 December.
The East African Community bloc made the announcement on Tuesday, following a summit by the region’s heads of state in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sama Lukonde, the Ugandan Minister of East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, and the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan participated in the meeting.
The leaders said that they “took note of the operational milestones achieved by the EAC regional force towards restoration of security in the eastern DRC (DR Congo)”.
In November 2022, East African heads of state deployed the regional force to eastern DRC to help the DRC army combat armed rebel groups.
