By PATRICK ILUNGA More by this AuthorOfficials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say East African Community Regional Forces (EACRF) will leave the country by December 8, signaling a refusal to extend any further mandate for the troops. DRC Congo's message on the fate of the regional force, he said, has 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. The revelations mean regional force, which has often resisted calls to enter combat against rebels and insists on being a buffer for civilians, must start withdrawal by December 8. In North Kivu, several civil society organisations have organised marches to demand that Monusco and the East African regional force leave the DRC. Despite the various performances, and despite a public disavowal expressed by President Félix Tshisekedi about the effectiveness of the East African Regional Force, the leaders of the region prevailed upon the DRC to have EACRF stay longer.

Source: Daily Nation October 10, 2023 16:46 UTC