Burundian Government To Deploy 100 Soldiers To Conflict-Hit Eastern DR Congo

The Burundian government is set to deploy 100 soldiers to the volatile eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of a regional force on Saturday, reported The TRT World.

A senior Burundian military officer confirmed to AFP on Friday that a company of about 100 soldiers will fly to Goma on Saturday.

He said on condition of anonymity that the troops will be deployed in Kitshanga and Kilorirwe areas, which are occupied by M23 rebels in North Kivu and in Sake.

On Friday, the East African Community (EAC) also released a press statement and confirmed that Burundian troops would be deployed on Saturday, but did not elaborate on the number of soldiers travelling to the DRC.

Last month, the East African leaders adopted a new timetable that called out all armed groups, including the M23, to withdraw by March 30, following a three-step process that was due to start on February 28.

The seven-nation EAC deployed troops in the eastern DRC late last year. The country has been struggling to control the rise of militant groups including the rebel M23.

The fighting in North Kivu province has displaced thousands of people and exacerbated regional tensions, with the DRC government accusing Rwanda of backing the M23.

According to the United Nations (UN), some 5.5 million people were displaced within the country as of last November. Furthermore, over one million had left for a neighboring country, with more than 500,000 seeking shelter in Uganda alone.

The EAC, which has held several meetings to defuse the crisis and called for the withdrawal of the M23 from occupied areas, created a regional force aimed at stabilizing the eastern DRC. The regional force is likely to include soldiers from Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, and South Sudan.

However, last month, thousands of people demonstrated in Goma, accusing the EAC force of passivity in the face of armed groups.