The Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Peter Mathuki, has called for an "independent investigation" into DR Congo army's shooting on unarmed protestors on August 30, which resulted in at least 48 deaths, including a policeman.

The protest by members of a religious sect in the eastern city of Goma against the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country "had initially been outlawed by the local authorities," the EAC Secretariat said in a statement on Monday, September 4.

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"The EAC Secretary General urges the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to conduct an independent investigation on the matter," the statement added.

The Secretariat said there was a "multidimensional and complex environment within North Kivu and Goma town in particular, that may have led to the unfortunate incident."

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It&039;s reported the DR Congo army linked the protest with the M23 rebels in North Kivu province.

In a statement on September 1, the M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka condemned in "the strongest terms the brutal slaughtering of unarmed civilians" and said the death had risen to 97.

The EAC has a regional force in North Kivu, a region that has been volatile for nearly three decades. Since its deployment in November 2022 to observe a truce and the M23's withdrawal, the regional force has taken control of some of the vacated positions of the rebels.

The EAC said it "maintains commitment to support the Congolese people and the Government of DRC in ensuring peace and stability returns" to the east of the country.

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The 25-year-old UN mission in DR Congo, known by its French acronym MONUSCO has faced demonstrations since at least July 2022.

It is accused of failing to restore peace in the eastern part of the country where more than 130 local and foreign armed groups responsible for killings roam.

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in August that MONUSCO had embarked on a withdrawal plan, which will put an end to one of the longest and most expensive peacekeeping missions.