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Which African Countries Assist DRC in Combating Insurgency?

© AP Photo / Samir BolSoldiers from the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) prepare to board a flight to transport them to eastern Congo
Soldiers from the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) prepare to board a flight to transport them to eastern Congo - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 13.08.2023
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The M23 rebel group, which operates mainly in eastern DRC, has waged a large-scale campaign against government forces in recent years, capturing large swathes of the country and occasionally attacking peaceful villages.
Kenya signed an agreement last week to train 890 soldiers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which officials say is part of a long-term strategy to rid the region of armed groups and foster economic stability.
The training is seen as part of the 2021 Kenya-DRC defense cooperation agreement.

The move comes as troop-contributing countries to the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) await Kinshasa's assessment of the mission's extension, which ends on September 8.

Kenya is not the only country that has entered into a defense deal with the DRC to help Kinshasa fight the insurgent threat in the eastern part of the country.
A military cooperation agreement signed on March 6 between the DRC and Burundi, which share a 243-kilometer border, is also in effect. The treaty provides for the supply, sale or loan of military equipment, as well as planning, training and joint military operations.
In December 2021, DRC concluded a similar agreement with Uganda for conducting joint operations against armed groups in the bordering regions.

Uganda, Kenya and Burundi, in addition to bilateral agreements, participate in peacekeeping missions as part of the EACRF, established last summer with a mandate to secure peace and stability in the DR Congo.

Apart from these countries, the mission also includes troops from South Sudan, which shares borders with the DRC as well.
General Emmanuel Kaputa, Deputy chief of staff from the East African Community (EAC) regional force answers journalists during the arrival of Burundian troops at Goma airport in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on March 5, 2023. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 07.04.2023
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In early May, the South African Development Community (SADC) likewise authorized the deployment of its troops in eastern DRC to "restore peace and security."
Forces from three SADC countries - South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi - have already been operating in eastern DRC since 2013 under the auspices of a UN peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, the mandate of which will expire at the end of 2024.
The threat from the M23 rebel group has recently become increasingly acute for the DRC.

On Saturday, French media reported that 14 people were killed in an armed attack on a village in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A week earlier, at least nine people died in an assault in North Kivu province in the east of the country.
In May, the UN Refugee Agency said that constant attacks by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to cause forced displacement and extremely difficult living conditions for millions of Congolese.
The agency added that there are 6.2 million internally displaced people in the country and more than 1.3 million have become refugees.
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