Kenya says sending troops to DRC seeks to achieve ‘sustainable peace in the region’

Nov. 3 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The President of Kenya, William Ruto, has stressed that the sending of the country’s troops to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to combat the rebel groups operating in the area is an “urgent” measure to achieve “a sustainable peace”. in the region”.

Thus, he explained that “this deployment is significant and urgent, since it responds to the collective aspirations for a sustainable peace in the region”. “We must uphold our duty of brotherhood to the DRC until the job is done,” she said, according to the Kenyan Presidency on Twitter.

“Kenya will always answer the call to promote peace and security in East Africa,” he said, before defending that the countries of the region have a “collective responsibility” to “work together to end conflict and violence that deny the region room to thrive.

The Kenyan president has highlighted that Kenya’s participation in the deployment, within the framework of a decision by the East African Community (EAC), is part of Nairobi’s “proud peacekeeping legacy” and has called on troops involved to carry out their tasks “in a professional manner”.

During a speech, Ruto stressed that the decision “sends a signal to the world about Kenya’s commitment to carrying out its obligations and contributing to achieving and maintaining peace in the EAC region.”

“Every society deserves the opportunity to experience peace and security. Without peace, human freedom is in danger, and without security, opportunities are a mirage and something unrealizable,” he settled, as reported by the Kenyan newspaper ‘The Standard’ .

The Congolese provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, located in eastern DRC, have suffered a serious uptick in insecurity in recent years due to the activities of various groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) – who have sworn loyalty to Islamic State–, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the March 23 Movement (M23).

The regional force of the East African Community gained strength after an agreement reached by seven member states, although the current diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda, after the former accused the latter of supporting the M23 rebels, has caused the latter is the only one not to send troops.

The M23 has been accused since November 2021 of carrying out attacks against DRC Army positions in North Kivu, seven years after the parties reached a truce. United Nations experts have accused Uganda and Rwanda of supporting the rebels, although both countries have denied this.