Commanders of the East African Community regional force (EACRF) and the United Nations mission in eastern DR Congo (MONUSCO) met on Tuesday, April 4 to discuss operational boundaries, among other things.

EACRF commander Maj Gen Jeff Nyagah and MONUSCO force commander Lt Gen Otávio Rodrigues de Miranda Filho explored areas of coordination and collaboration between the two forces.

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MONUSCO has operated in eastern DR Congo for more than two decades, while the EAC regional force was deployed in November last year, with a mandate of supporting regional efforts to restore peace and security in the volatile eastern DR Congo.

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According to the EACRF, the two commanders discussed possible areas of coordination and collaboration, including "demarcation and delineation of operational boundaries; battlespace management including airspace control.”

They also discussed areas of logistics support in terms of medical evacuation (MEDVAC), casualty evacuations (CASEVAC) and limited airlift capability to remote bases; engineering support in defence preparations; opening up of main supply routes; as well as information/intelligence sharing and surveillance.

Eastern DR Congo has been volatile for nearly three decades and is home to more than 120 local and foreign armed groups.

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The EAC regional force is made up of four countries: Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan and Uganda.

Angola announced in March it would be deploying troops in DR Congo, but under a bilateral arrangement with the Congolese government.

Since its deployment in November 2022, the regional force has occupied areas of North Kivu province vacated by the M23 rebels in compliance with the Luanda agreement signed in the Angolan capital.

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The Kenyan contingent is based in Kibati-Kibumba and Rumangabo.

Burundi is in Sake-Mshaki-Karuba and Kilolirwe and projected to deploy to Kitchanga.

The Ugandan contingent is in Bunagana and projected to deploy in Kiwanja by April 15.

Kenya’s former president Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the facilitator of the EAC-led peace process, said on Monday that the regional efforts were making progress, although North Kivu was still volatile.