The East African Regional Force (EACRF) and the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monusco) will soon launch joint operations, EACRF announced on Tuesday.
EACRF’s General Jeff Nyagah on Tuesday met with the new Monusco Force Commander Lt Gen Otávio Rodrigues De Miranda in Goma, North Kivu to seal the collaboration on several areas including demarcation and delimitation of operational boundaries, battle space management, including airspace control, logistical support, engineering support in defence preparations, opening of key supply routes, information as well as intelligence sharing and monitoring.
“The aim is to coordinate operations to make the peace-seeking mission more effective in eastern DRC where armed groups remain active and harmful. But as far as the M23 is concerned, local sources have not reported any recent fighting as the deployment of EACRF is now complete after the arrival of South Sudanese troops in North Kivu on Sunday and Monday. The regional force’s troops are continuing to move into areas where the rebels have withdrawn, in accordance with the Luanda roadmap, which provides for the gradual occupation of areas engaged by M23 rebels,” DRC government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said.
Many DRC civilians are already concerned about the mass deployment EACRF which they see as an attempt to divide the country.
PATRICK ILUNGA
