On Sunday, 30 Burundian military troops arrived at Goma airport in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to join an international force assisting Kinshasa in combating the rise of militia groups in the region.
The soldiers will be deployed as part of a regional force established by the East African Community (EAC) to try to stop the M23 rebellion's advance and to dismantle the hundreds of militia groups operating in the eastern part of the democratic republic of congo.
The conflict in North Kivu province has displaced tens of thousands of people and heightened tensions, with the DRC government accusing Rwanda of financially supporting the M23, this report is supported by many western nations and the European Union, an allegation Rwanda denies.
The m23 militia resurfaced in late 2021, occupying large swaths of territory in North Kivu, which includes a significant region north of its capital Goma.
Did you read this?
The EAC, which has held several summits to defuse the crisis and has called for the M23 to withdraw from occupied areas, established a regional force to stabilise the eastern DRC. An EAC media release issued on Friday acknowledged the deployment of Burundian troops but did not specify the total number of troops travelling to the war-torn central african country.
General Emmanuel Kaputa Kasenga, deputy commander of the East African contingent, received the troops at the airport. Telling the soldiers that they would participate in the unconditional removal of the M23 rebels from the conflict-ridden areas.
Burundian troops will join a Kenyan army troop of about 1,000 men stationed in and around Goma since November.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the country on Saturday during his African tour. He held talks with Angolan President Joao Lourenco, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Macron stated that all had "given clear support" to a ceasefire next Tuesday.
