President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered immediate deployment of the regional military to parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo to end hostilities and disarm warring groups.
Through a statement dated Wednesday, June 15, President Uhuru called for the activation of the East African Regional Force under the auspices of the East African Community (EAC).
He directed all regional military commanders of respective Defence Forces within EAC to make haste and send their troops to DRC.
"The East African Regional Force shall be deployed to the Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces immediately to stabilize the zone and enforce peace in support of the DRC security forces and in close coordination with MONUSCO," Uhuru ordered.
He explained that the soldiers drawn from all East African countries will collaborate with local provincial authorities to support an orderly and permanent disarmament process under the Programme de Disarmament, Demobilisation, Relevement Communautaire et Stabilisation (P-DDRCS) in order to create enabling conditions for stability and peace in Eastern DRC.
Uhuru, in his capacity as the chairperson of the East African Community, declared some parts of DRC including Ituri, North Kivu and Kivu provinces as a weapons-free zone.
"Any individual or group carrying weapons outside the official and legally deployed and mandated forces in the country will be disarmed," Uhuru ordered.
The decision follows a series of meetings and phone calls to regional heads with the aim of finding a lasting solution to avert war in DRC.
Uhuru further called for an immediate cessation to bring peace and stability to the region. Uhuru maintained that the ongoing clashes threaten political processes expected to take place in DRC.
"I note, with concern, that recent developments including, open hostilities, create a serious threat to the success of the region leadership’s work including the promotion of outcomes of the Inter-Congolese (DRC) consultations of the Nairobi process. The hostilities, in particular, threaten to undermine the ongoing political process (the political track) aimed at addressing the security situation," Uhuru stated.
He was tasked with ensuring peace is restored in DRC following a high-security meeting at State House that was graced by East African presidents including Uganda's Youweri Museveni, and Rwanda's Paul Kagame, among others.
President Uhuru is expected to host the leaders again on Sunday, June 19, to draft others measures to address the war in DRC.
