Withdrawal of EAC Troops from Eastern DRC
A year after their deployment, Kinshasa requested the withdrawal of East African Community troops from eastern DRC, judged ineffective, to be replaced by a SADC regional force.
One year after their deployment, Kinshasa requested the departure of East African Community troops, which were considered ineffective and unpopular. This withdrawal followed a decision by the extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) in Arusha, Tanzania, on November 24.
The DRC, represented at the summit by Deputy Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, State Minister Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, and presidential representative Serge Tshibangu, clearly expressed its desire not to extend the mandate of the East African Regional Force (EACRF) beyond December 8, 2023.
The Kenyan contingent, initially comprising 903 personnel, arrived in November 2022, followed by Burundian, Ugandan, and South Sudanese forces, aiming to establish regional stability in an area affected by prolonged conflict.
However, the DRC government observed the regional forces coexisting with armed groups rather than compelling M23 rebels to disarm. Local populations and the Congolese government demanded their withdrawal. Kinshasa announced plans to replace the East African force with troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).