The Kenyan Parliament on Wednesday approved the deployment of the deployment of nearly 1,000 troops for a new regional force in eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, reported The Africa News. The first six months of the mission is expected to cost a sum of around $37 million.
According to a parliament committee, the money will be spent on equipment, allowances, and operations for the more than 900 troops joining the East African Community (EAC) Regional Force that will support the DRC forces against armed groups.
The mineral-rich DR Congo is struggling to control dozens of armed militias including the M23 rebel group whose recent advances in the country east have led to animosities and exacerbated regional tensions.
The announcement comes as the Kenyan opposition parties and critics question the government’s decision to spend so much money on the regional mission at a time when the country faces its own security issues, and high public debt. The people of Kenya are suffering from deep economic hardship including a cost-of-living crisis and drought.
Last week, Kenyan President William Ruto described the mission as necessary and urgent for regional security. Violence by armed groups in eastern Congo has led to a diplomatic tension between Congo and neigh boring Rwanda, which accuse each other of backing certain groups.
The Kenyan forces will be based in Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city. The regional force, agreed upon by heads of state in June and led by a Kenyan commander, also has two battalions from Uganda, two from Burundi, and one from South Sudan.
The committee report said that there is a possibility that international financing may be secured for the mission in DR Congo, which will also include soldiers from Burundi, South Sudan and Uganda. A UN force, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, is already operating in the DRC.
