DR Congo president slams regional force in east, hints at June exit
By AFP
DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday criticised a regional military force deployed by east African nations to stabilise conflict-torn regions in the country’s east, hinting that the troops could depart by the end of June.
Speaking during a visit to Botswana, Tshisekedi voiced concerns of “cohabitation” between rebels and the regional force that started deploying late last year.
Dozens of armed groups plague eastern DRC, a legacy of regional wars that raged in the 1990s and 2000s.
One group, the M23, has wreaked havoc since re-emerging from dormancy in late 2021.
The seven-nation East African Community (EAC) created a military force to respond to the crisis last June, with Kenyan soldiers deploying in November followed this year by Burundian, Ugandan and South Sudanese contingents.
“There is cohabitation that we have noticed between the contingent of East African Community and the rebels,” Tshisekedi said at a news conference. Read more
