Democratic Republic of the Congo

A fresh round of EAC-led talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and armed militia operational in the eastern DRC has opened in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi without, however, the presence of the M23 Tutsi rebel group that Kinshasa says is being supported by Kigali. A ceasefire between Congolese government troops and M23 rebels appears to be holding in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo despite some clashes reported between rival militias.

Forty Burundian rebels have been killed in a joint offensive by the militaries of Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi in eastern DRC, a Congolese army spokesman said on Sunday.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has said it will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 20, 2023, kicking off a year of complex preparations in the vast Central African country, large parts of which have been overrun by armed groups.

African leaders have declared a ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo starting Friday, which is aimed in particular at stopping attacks by the M23 rebel group, they said in a statement.

Fighting between the Democratic Republic of Congo's national army and the rebel group M23 has displaced thousands of people in the eastern border city of Goma. Formed 10 years ago, the Rwanda-backed Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) soon made its first mark when it briefly occupied Goma, a city of 1 million today. An African-led effort resulted in a ceasefire and M23's demobilisation - until the resumption of hostilities in 2021.

Uganda will deploy around 1,000 soldiers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by the end of November under a regional force against a rebel offensive, a Ugandan military spokesman said Tuesday.

The East African Community (EAC) is engaged in the search for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A day after the arrival of Kenyan troops in Goma, North Kivu, former President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Kinshasa where he is to stay for two days. The EAC facilitator is accompanied by East African Community Secretary General Peter Mathuki.

Kenya’s Parliament has approved the deployment of nearly 1,000 soldiers for a new regional force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid questions about the $37m cost for the first six months of the mission.

At least 20 people have been killed this week in an attack in western DR Congo, local officials said Wednesday, where ethnic violence has been raging for months.

[…] Kenyan troops are heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a force sent by the East African Community. … Kenya will be the second east African nation to send troops to the eastern DRC after Burundi.