DRC Authorities to Conduct Awareness Campaign Ahead of 'Imminent' East African Forces Deployment

More than an estimated 122 rebel groups are currently fighting against the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the mineral-rich east of the country. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), M23, Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) and the Mai-Mai are among the most violent armed groups.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have announced that they plan to educate locals regarding the tasks of the foreign military presence in the country, preparing the ground for the "imminent deployment" of East African forces to assist in fighting armed groups, The East African has reported.

Military chiefs from the East African member states agreed to take into account mistakes of "other international missions" present in the region, which were greeted by the Congolese with extreme suspicion.

On September 9, the East African community, an intergovernmental organisation aiming to achieve prosperity, competitiveness, security, stability and political unification in the region, signed a troop deployment deal with the DRC which signals the upcomming sending of East African troops to combat armed groups in the east of the Congo.

Countries and organizations previously trying to revive peace in the country were repeatedly blamed for various atrocities by locals, with a foreign presence in the DRC often resulting in protests.

In 2014, French troops, which started operating in the country in 2003 by leading the first joint-European mission, were accused of child rape.

On September 6, protestors on motorbikes blocked a MONUSCO convoy of the UN peacekeeping mission functioning in the country since 2010, in the eastern Congolese city of Beni. UN peacekeeping troops were reportedly attacked for retaliating with force during July protests against the UN's involvement into the conflict.

A man holds a placard during the burial of activists, who died during demonstrations that took place in Goma from July 25 to 27 to demand the departure of United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), in Goma on August 5, 2022. - Ten people who died in protests against the UN Mission that recently rocked towns in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were laid to rest in Goma on August 5, 2022 after a popular tribute ceremony. At the end of July, angry demonstrators ransacked and looted facilities of the United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of the DRC (Monusco), present in the country since 1999. A total of 32 demonstrators and four peacekeepers were killed in a week of demonstrations in at least four eastern towns. (Photo by Guerchom Ndebo / AFP)

© AFP 2023 / GUERCHOM NDEBO

In July, Congolese citizens protested against a UN peacekeeping force in Butembo, the DRC.

The same month protesters stormed and looted the UN’s base in the city of Goma. The demonstrators demanded the withdrawl of UN troops from the Congo.

Among the most savage armed groups fighting against Congo authorities is the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which initially appeared in Uganda and was active in eastern DRC since the 1990s. This group, allegedly related to the Daesh terrorist organization*, has been blamed for dozens of deadly attacks in eastern DRC.

*Daesh (ISIS/IS/ISIL) - a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries