EAC forces disengage amid UN mission withdrawal in the DRC: summary

What we know?

• The East African Regional Forces began the withdrawal in the Eastern DRC early on in December after the DR Congo government refused to renew their operational mandate
• Military forces were drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan
• The decision to deploy an East African Community Regional Force to the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was triggered by a resurgence of violence perpetrated by the armed group known as M23
• The East African Community (EAC) troops were deployed to ensure the withdrawal and suppression of armed groups, particularly the M23 from the Eastern DRC
• The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the DRC government on November 21 signed a disengagement plan for the withdrawal of the Mission
• The UN Security Council, on December 19 also approved the phased withdrawal of MONUSCO from the Eastern DRC
• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops are scheduled to take over from the EAC force

What they said?

The EAC Regional Force Commander, Maj-Gen Alphaxard Kiugu told reporters on December 21 that the force successfully fulfilled its mandate despite encountering "negative propaganda." He cautioned about the potential for armed groups, including the M23 rebel group, to exploit the vacuum created by the force's departure. Head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita also said, "We thank our Congolese partners for signing this disengagement plan, which marks the end of a long process. We remain determined to work with the Congolese authorities towards an accelerated withdrawal of MONUSCO that consolidates the gains made during the Mission's presence in the DRC. We have worked together in a constructive spirit of collaboration and mutual respect to achieve this objective set by the Security Council.”