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.
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.
Apart from these countries, the mission also includes troops from South Sudan, which shares borders with the DRC as well.
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.
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.