A contingent of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, on Sunday, April 2, arrived in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern DR Congo, as part of the East African Community regional force. The regional force said the arrival of South Sudan soldiers – “advance party” – marked the final phase of deployment of the EAC troops in eastern DR Congo, as agreed at the summit of Heads of State in Bujumbura on February 4. South Sudan President Salva Kiir announced in November 2022 that his country would deploy 750 soldiers in the regional force whose mandate is to support efforts to restore peace and security in the restive region of eastern DR Congo. ALSO READ: DR Congo: Ugandan troops to open Bunagana-Goma supply route The deployment follows that of Uganda on March 29. Burundian troops arrived in Goma earlier in March, joining a Kenyan contingent that deployed in November 2022. After its initial deployment in November 2022, the regional force took control of positions vacated by the M23 rebels as par the Luanda agreement signed by regional leaders in the Angolan capital later that month. On March 22, Burundian troops took over control of areas of Karuba, Mushaki, Kirolirwe and part of Kitchanga that were vacated by the M23 rebels. ALSO READ: Museveni explains Uganda’s troop deployment to DR Congo Kenyan troops occupy areas, such as Kibumba and the Rumangabo military base, which the rebels gave up in December 2022 and January 2023, respectively. Despite its gains in persuading the M23 to withdraw, the regional force faces pressure from Congolese politicians and civil society who want it to launch an offensive against the M23 rebels. However, as per the Luanda roadmap, the military solution will be the last option. ALSO READ: Leaked footage, violence raise fresh questions over Kinshasa's intentions Faced with an M23 offensive, in May 2022, the Congolese army formed an alliance with multiple militia groups, including the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned terrorist group formed by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. ALSO READ: Situation in eastern DR Congo a major human rights challenge – Biruta Earlier in March, a Congolese minister said the government would integrate militias into the army. Analysts say the atmosphere in Kinshasa and Goma could be an obstacle to the regional efforts to end the conflict peacefully.
