By Mujidu Victor,
Uganda President, Yoweri Museveni, has landed in Nairobi for the third East African Community meeting that will prioritise on the peace and security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta in his capacity as EAC chair, called for the deployment of the East African Regional force to the DRC to quell growing insecurity in the central African country.
The President put dealing with insecurity faced in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, and the area declared weapons-free through a disarmament exercise, as the main threat.
“The hostilities, in particular, threaten to undermine the ongoing political process aimed at addressing the security situation,” Uhuru said.
Regional commanders of respective Defence Forces met yesterday in Nairobi to finalize preparations for the deployment.
About a week ago a Congolese soldier, armed with an AK-47, was shot dead 25 meters into Rwanda after he opened fire on security personnel and civilians injuring two police officers, a statement from Rwanda’s army said.
A Rwandan policeman shot back in self-defense killing the soldier, it added.
DRC officials confirmed the “incident” but have not given any details, the AP news agency reported. When the soldier was brought back into the nearby Congolese city of Goma, people surrounded the ambulance chanting “hero, hero”, the Reuters news agency says.
On Monday, after the capture of Bunagana, the Congolese government accused its neighbor of “invading”.
