Ugandan Troops Enter DR Congo as Part of East African Regional Force

The flagging-off of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Contingent to serve under the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) in the Eastern Democratic Republic of CongoInternationalIndiaAfricaWriter/editorEarlier this week, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) held a flag-off ceremony to mark the country’s move to dispatch its troops as part of East African Community’s (EAC) peacekeeping mission in the eastern DR Congo, where a significant number of militant groups pose a threat to the security of the area. Some 1,000 Ugandan soldiers joined an East African regional military force on Friday as part of a mission in the eastern DR Congo, media report.Ugandan troops entered the town of Bunagana in the DRC to secure safety in the region during the gradual withdrawal of M23 militants, said Kenyan commander General Jeff Nyagah as cited by media. According to him, a total of 2,000 Ugandan troops are expected to operate in the DRC.Ahead of the flag-off ceremony, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni declared that the country’s contingent in the DR Congo is deployed in order to “occupy some of the positions that the M23 has handed over to the East African force as a neutral force” rather than to fight rebels.AfricaUganda Dispatches Troops for Peacekeeping Mission to DRC30 March, 12:50 GMTEarlier, Kenya and Burundi also deployed their troops to the country. South Sudan is expected to send 750 troops to the DRC.M23 is a rebel group that operates in the east of the DRC alongside with more than 120 militant organizations. M23 emerged in 2012 and launched an offensive against the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in autumn of 2022 and occupied much of the nation’s territory.Last summer, in response to the threat posed to the government by rebels, the leaders of EAC member states agreed adopt a peacekeeping operation concept, the Status of Forces Agreement, and Rules of Engagement aimed at the facilitation of the realization of regional forces’ operations in the DRC.Instability in the DR Congo, mainly in the North Kivu province, has been a long-lasting issue. Since the late 1990s, the country has faced frequent conflicts between the government and militants. According to UN estimates, more than five million people were displaced due to insecurity in the DRC over the last two years.

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