The head of Congolese diplomacy, Christophe Lutundula, announced on RFI the operationalization of the regional force of the Community of East African States, of which the DRC is now part, in the east of the country. But the establishment of this force is taking time, even if things are starting to move.
Only Burundi, now one of Kinshasa’s main allies in the region, has already deployed its troops. But these soldiers, some of whom have been on Congolese soil since long before the decision to settle the regional power of the Community of East African States, operates in South Kivu, far away military theater in the heart of all attention in the province of North Kivu. In this region, the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) have continued to lose ground to the rebels on the M23.
Is it the fear of seeing the Congolese increasingly irritated by the accumulated delays in setting up the regional force to turn to the Southern African Development Community (SADC)? Several initiatives have been announced since Tuesday in the region, according to our sources.
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Kenya appeared hesitant for weeks to commit its soldiers to the M23 rebels who, according to the international community, are benefiting from the help of Kigali, despite its denials. But Nairobi said, against all odds, on Tuesday in a press release that it was organizing a ceremony this Wednesday to present the flag to its contingent that will be deployed in the eastern part of the DRC, without further details.
EACA Extraordinary Summit Meanwhile, Burundian President and current EAC President Évariste Ndayishimiye had just held discussions with several of his counterparts in the region, including Rwandan Paul Kagame, according to our sources.
His services declared in the wake of a meeting with the chiefs of staff of the regional armies, which will be followed by an extraordinary summit of the EAC heads of state, likely on November 21 in Bujumbura. Its aim is to try to reinvigorate a regional power that has been slow to emerge, while the situation continues to deteriorate in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
► Also read: Details of regional force soon to be deployed in eastern DRC