EACRF Attributes Kenyan Peacekeeper’s Death to Truce Violation

The East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) attributed the death of a Kenyan peacekeeper to a breach of the ceasefire agreement between Congolese armed forces (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group. While the Kenyan soldier lost his life in a mortar fire during a clash between FARDC and M23, the EACRF held both sides responsible for violating the ceasefire agreed upon months ago. The incident occurred near Kanyamahoro, close to Kibumba, 15km Northeast of Goma on October 24. The EACRF has initiated investigations into the matter.

The Congolese army (FARDC) blamed the M23 rebel group for the attack on the EACRF, asserting that the M23, with support from the Rwandan army, targeted the EACRF’s positions with mortar fire. They claimed the aim was to falsely implicate the FARDC and gain the sympathy of the Regional Force while creating a rift between the EACRF and loyal DRC forces.

The EACRF emphasized that both sides should not have been in conflict in the first place, as a ceasefire agreement reached earlier in Luanda called for M23’s withdrawal from their positions while the Congolese army prepared cantonment sites for the rebels. These violations signify breaches of both conditions in the ceasefire established through the Luanda Process.

The EACRF called for a return to the ceasefire agreement and a cessation of hostilities between FARDC and the M23 armed group. The M23 had not responded to these accusations at the time of the report.

The EACRF, deployed in November the previous year, generally refrained from direct combat with rebel groups in eastern DRC, instead serving as a buffer for civilian areas. However, this recent attack, the second in a week on the EACRF, raised concerns about direct threats to EACRF positions, which are divided among troop-contributing countries, including Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Burundi.