Uganda to Deploy 1,000 Troops to Eastern DRC to Tackle M23 Rebels.

Uganda is planning to send 1,000 troops to the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo later this month. This is part of a larger regional military effort.

Since late 2021, M23 rebels have taken control of large portions of land in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. To address the situation, the East African Community (EAC), a group of seven nations, has started deploying a military force to the eastern region of Congo in November with the aim of bringing stability to the area.

According to Col. Mike Walaka Hyeroba's statement on Thursday, around 1,000 Ugandan troops will be deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by the end of the month as part of the East African Community (EAC) force.

As per the shared video recording by the provincial government, the troops are scheduled to be deployed to multiple locations in North Kivu that are currently under the control of M23 rebels. The areas where the troops will be deployed are not specified.

Kenyan EAC soldiers are already deployed in some areas of North Kivu, although locals increasingly view their presence with suspicion as the M23 has continued fighting.

Apart from the Ugandan troops and Kenyan soldiers already deployed in North Kivu, Burundian forces are also preparing to deploy in the territory west of the provincial capital, Goma. Additionally, South Sudan has announced that it will send 750 troops to the region by the end of December, as part of the East African Community's (EAC) force to bring stability to the volatile region.

The M23 rebel group, which is predominantly led by Tutsi fighters, resumed its armed struggle in late 2021. The group claimed that the Congolese government had failed to fulfill its pledge of integrating M23 fighters into the national army, leading to their renewed conflict.

The M23 rebels have managed to capture significant portions of North Kivu province, and their continued advancement poses a threat of cutting off all roads to Goma, a key trade hub with a population of over one million people. Goma is situated near the Rwandan border, and the rebels' advances have raised concerns about the potential for cross-border conflict.

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, although Rwanda denies any involvement. The accusations have led to strained diplomatic relations between the two countries in the past.

The accusations against Rwanda for supporting the M23 rebels have been backed by independent UN experts, the United States, and several other Western countries. However, Rwanda has consistently denied these allegations.

Meanwhile, Ugandan troops are already present in eastern DRC, collaborating with the Congolese army to fight against the ADF which is another militant group that has been causing chaos in the region.