EAC Heads of State Converge in Nairobi to Discuss Escalating DRC Situation

By Stephen Ocaido

Nairobi-Kenya

The president of Kenyatta Uhuru Kenyatta has today hosted the EAC conclave Heads of State on Inter-Congolese Dialogue of the Nairobi Process on the Peace and Security Situation in Eastern DR Congo that has continued to deteriorate.

This EAC conclave was set up to forge dialogue between the m23 Rebels and the government of Congo. Its members states including Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and DR Congo are in the capital of Nairobi to forge a way forward for peace in the volatile region of eastern Congo which is in the command of the rebel forces.

In his statement, the chairperson of the EAC Uhuru Kenyatta said, “people in the Eastern DRC have suffered and continue to pay an inordinately heavy price in loss of lives, property and elusive peace”

Last week on 15^th June, chairman of EAC called on all partner states to have an east African standing army ready for deployment in the volatile region of DRC so as to restore peace there.

There has however been an ongoing accusation by Kinshasa government that Kigali government is to blame for the recent resurgence of m23 rebel group fighting in the eastern part of their country, an accusation that Kigali government has continuously denied.

Kinshasa government noted that of the standing force to be deployed in Congo, Kigali troops should not be part of the standby force.

The eastern part of the country has seen most of Congolese population flee to neighboring Uganda in the past few months through Bunagana Boarder for fear of their lives.