Renson Mwakandana
On Monday, the East African Community heads of state of agreed to deploy a regional force to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The deployed EAC regional force should, in cooperation with the military and administrative forces of the DRC, seek to stabilize and secure the peace in the DRC,” read part of the communique released Monday evening.
The decision to deploy an EAC regional force was reached during the third EAC heads of state conclave on Inter-Congolese dialogue as part of the Nairobi process on the peace and security situation in eastern DRC, which took place on Monday at the Kenyan State House and chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The EAC heads of States said in their communique, “The Regional Force will be constituted as an EAC force under the EAC Protocol on peace and security and the EAC Treaty Article 124 on regional peace and security and Article 125 on cooperation in defense.”
After the DRC lodged an objection, the statement did not say whether Rwandan troops would be deployed alongside the EAC regional force.
