DRC to Disengage the East African Force by December 8.

A coalition of civil societies in the Democratic Republic of Congo has held a protest in Goma calling for the exit of a combined East African force from the east of the country over its failure to deal with the M23 rebels where the M23 has continued to hold some towns and villages in North Kivu province. 

In November 2022, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan sent troops to DR Congo, under the banner of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), to try and disarm the rebel group and bring peace.

The DR Congo Minister of Communication, Patrick Muyaya stated that the government would not be granting any further stay for the EACRF. He said that Congolese troops would do a better job adding that the EACRF should leave at the end of the mandate in December.

The message on the fate of the regional force, he said, had already been conveyed to the leaders of the East African Community, by Deputy Defence Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, at the extraordinary meeting of the East African Community (EAC) Sectoral Council on Defence Cooperation, held in Arusha, Tanzania last week stating that the EAC regional force must leave the Democratic Republic of Congo by December 8, as agreed, because it has not been able to resolve the problem, particularly that of the M23, which has been blocking the pre-cantonment process for two months, in accordance with the agreements signed in Luanda.

In a recent statement the East African Community said its forces were dedicated to working closely with the government enabling the safe return of internally displaced persons to their homes and enhancing the overall protection of civilians.

More than 6.2 million people have been forced from their homes in the east of the country and are living elsewhere in DR Congo, and another one million have sought asylum mostly within Africa, according to the UN's refugee agency.

The action of the M23 rebels has led to the death of seven persons earlier this month.