The East African Community Regional Forces (EACRF) will leave the Democratic Republic of Congo by December 8, the country's minister of communications, Patrick Muyaya, said during a press conference in the city of Kinshasa on Monday.
"The EAC regional force must leave the Democratic Republic of Congo by December 8," the official said, as quoted by the media. According to him, the government will not grant an extension "because [the mission] has not been able to solve the problem."
In September, the current mandate of the EACRF was extended for a second time by three months and is due to expire at the end of this year.
The EACRF consists of troops from four countries: Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan, and Uganda. The force was deployed to the DRC last November in response to the deteriorating security situation in the east of the country amid a widespread insurgency.
Security in the eastern part of the country has been a major concern for the DRC in recent years due to a widespread armed anti-government campaign by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels. The rebel group has seized swathes of territory since re-emerging from dormancy in late 2021, resulting in the displacement of approximately one million people in the region.