DR Congo President Stuns with Accusations against East’s Regional Power, Teases Unexpected Departure in June
In a striking announcement made during his visit to Botswana, DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi dared to criticize the regional military force sent by East African nations to bring stability to the conflict-ridden regions in the eastern part of the Congo. Tshisekedi even hinted that the troops could be ousted by the end of June! While speaking to a news conference, Tshisekedi expressed his concern about the “coexistence” between rebels and the regional force that started deploying late last year. As a result of the legacy of regional wars that shattered the nation in the 1990s and 2000s, dozens of armed groups have continued to plague the eastern part of the country. Unfortunately, even a particular group called M23 has been causing havoc since it resurfaced from hibernation late last year. Consequently, the seven-nation East African Community (EAC), which created the military force to help curb the crisis in June last year, has had the Kenyan soldiers deployed since November, followed this year by Burundian, Ugandan, and South Sudanese contingents. But Tshisekedi’s global fears seem to find fulfilment in his comments, stating that the “coexistence” between the EAC force and the militia groups described the mission assigned to the regional force. Tshisekedi even asked potent questions such as “what is the purpose of the mission?”, claiming that apart from the Burundian troops, the others “are now living together with M23.” His comments came one day after the SADC (Southern African Development Community) held a special summit in Namibia, deciding to send forces to restore peace and security to eastern DRC. Tshisekedi exclaimed that the EAC force’s mandate ends in June, adding that “if we feel the mandate was not fulfilled, we will send them back and thank them for trying.” He also added that “confirmed” SADC troops are on their way to replace the EAC force. Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, South Africa, Angola, Tanzania, and the DRC are all members of the SADC countries.
