The South Sudanese government on Wednesday announced the deployment of 750 soldiers to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight the M23 insurgency, reported The Africa News.
In recent months, heavy fighting between DRC forces and M23 rebels prompted the East African Community (EAC) to deploy a joint regional force that includes forces from Kenya, Burundi and Uganda aimed at ending decades of bloodshed in that country.
During a ceremony in Juba, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir asked the peacekeeping mission soldiers to show discipline and order and protect civilians.
Kiir advised the troopd to maintain highest level of professionalism and refrain from committing any crimes such as rape.
The South Sudanese forces will be deployed in Goma city where they will conduct operations along with the local forces to restore normalcy in the region.
Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs Angelina Teny described the country’s troop deployment as a positive move by a country grappling with its own security issues.
The announcement of the deployment comes just four months after thousands of fighters, including former rebels loyal to Kiir and his rival Riek Machar, were integrated into South Sudan’s army, a key condition of a peace deal to end the country’s civil war.
Back in June, Kenyan former President Uhuru Kenyatta called for the immediate deployment of a new regional military force to try to stop rebel violence in eastern DRC, where dozens of armed groups have been active for over two decades.
In related news, the United Nations mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) together with the African Union mission, regional bloc IGAD, the so-called Troika (United States, United Kingdom, and Norway), the European Union and other international partners urged combatants and supporters to immediately cease hostilities, exercise restraint and respect human rights.
They appealed South Sudanese leaders to urgently intervene to stop the fighting and ensure the safety and security of civilians as well as unimpeded humanitarian access to people affected by the fighting.
