East Africa force starts withdrawal from DR Congo

Scores of Kenyan troops flew out of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, marking the start of the withdrawal of a regional force after Kinshasa did not renew its mandate to help fight M23 rebels.

A Kenyan officer from the East African Community regional force gestures as Kenyan soldiers prepare to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo, at Goma airport, on 3 December 2023. AFP - ALEXIS HUGUET

The East African Community (EAC) regional force began its withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday after Kinshasa deemed it ineffective and refused to renew its mandate.

The regional bloc first deployed troops in the violence-plagued region in November last year after the resurgence of the M23 rebel group.

DRC authorities at the time invited the EAC to deploy its forces to free the areas taken by the rebels.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has repeatedly criticised the EAC force since its deployment in November 2022 for failing to enforce the withdrawal of the M23, a rebel group claiming to represent the interests of ethnic Tutsis.

The presidency announced it would not be renewing its mandate after an EAC summit in late November.

With the mandate due to expire on 8 December, Kenyan soldiers were seen lining up on Sunday to board two planes on the tarmac of the airport in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, a Reuters reporter said.

UPDATE: Kenyan troops at Goma airport on Sunday as their withdrawal continues from DR Congo pic.twitter.com/YOi65nkjlM

— The Chronicles (@ChroniclesRW) December 3, 2023

A different force from the Southern African Development Community is due to replace the EAC troops, but the date of its arrival and the length of its mandate have not been announced.

The strategic reshuffling highlights the difficulty of stabilising the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, where Congo declared a state of siege two years ago to address worsening militia violence.

Clashes with the M23 rebels have moved closer to Goma in recent weeks, deepening concerns the insecurity could derail presidential, legislative, and regional elections on 20 December.

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Conflict has simmered and periodically flared up since the end of two regional wars between 1996 and 2003.

Recent escalations in the bloodshed have pushed the number of people displaced within Congo to a record 6.9 million people, mostly in the east, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

 (with newswires)