This photo, taken on April 21, 2023, shows soldiers of the Regional Force formed by the East African Community (EAC) in Mushaki, North Kivu province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Alain Uaykani)
The 21st Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State, held Wednesday in the Burundian commercial capital of Bujumbura, approved extending the status of the East African regional force for six months to consolidate gains in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
BUJUMBURA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The 21st Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State, held Wednesday in the Burundian commercial capital of Bujumbura, approved extending the status of the East African regional force for six months to consolidate gains in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"Heads of state extended the status of the East African force's agreement for six months, from March 8, 2023, to Sept. 8, 2023, in order to consolidate gains made by the EAC regional force," said Peter Mathuki, the EAC secretary general, who read the final communique.
EAC leaders first approved deploying a new regional force on June 20, 2022, but it was until November 2022 for about 1,000 Kenyan troops to be the first of four promised contingents to arrive in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
The communique said EAC heads of state congratulated the East African regional force for its achievements in the restoration of peace and security in eastern DRC. "The heads of state condemned in their strongest terms violations of the ceasefire in eastern DRC and directed the East African regional force to take measures to stop their recurrence."
This photo, taken on April 20, 2023, shows soldiers of the Regional Force formed by the East African Community (EAC) in Kilolirwe, North Kivu province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Alain Uaykani)
According to the communique, the Congolese government was urged to facilitate the full deployment of soldiers by all EAC member states including South Sudan.
The regional force was directed to cooperate with chiefs of defense forces, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Congo (MONUSCO) and other stakeholders in eastern DRC, said Mathuki, adding that the regional force has three weeks to visit and verify the suitability of Rumangabo pre-cantonment camp that will host M23 rebels and combatants from other rebel groups based in eastern DRC.
The summit urged the DRC and South Sudan to engage in bilateral arrangements to resolve the issue of negative forces on common borders. It also urged the EAC secretariat to constitute a technical evaluation team by June 15, which will be made up of an officer with the rank of the Brigadier General from each EAC member state to assess the implementation of the mandate of the East African regional force.
The EAC extraordinary summit also appointed two EAC deputy secretary generals, the deputy president of the East African Court of Justice and a judge at that court.
The EAC is made up of seven countries, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, the DRC and South Sudan. ■