Rwanda’s justice minister Emmanuel Ugirashebuja on Saturday, November 30, reminded East African Community (EAC) partner states that there are still no formal explanations for the withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) from DR Congo, something that sets a troubling precedent for the region’s meaningful cooperation. The minister was speaking in Arusha, Tanzania during the 24th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State themed “Promoting Trade, Sustainable Development and Peace & Security for Improved livelihoods,” as the bloc celebrated its 25th anniversary. ALSO READ: EAC Regional Force completes withdrawal from DR Congo EACRF was deployed to eastern DR Congo, in November 2022, with a mandate of supporting a peace process. The regional force comprising troops from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan, managed to peacefully secure swathes of territory previously captured by the M23 rebels after their gradual withdrawal. In early 2023, the regional mission’s effort led to a ceasefire from March to September 2023. However, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who did not show up at the regional summit on Saturday, wanted it to battle the M23 rebels, or if not, leave. Troubling precedent set The first EACRF force commander was forced to resign citing a threat to his personal security and “a systematic plan to frustrate” the regional force. In December 2023, the Congolese government eventually expelled EACRF and replaced it with a SADC mission which is operating under an offensive mandate. ALSO READ: Kabarebe calls for greater efforts to unlock bloc’s potential On Saturday, Ugirashebuja told EAC leaders that the lack of formal explanations for EACRF’s withdrawal “sets a troubling precedent and erodes the trust, transparency and accountability needed for meaningful cooperation.” ALSO READ: EAC meet in Zanzibar reiterates importance of political process to end DR Congo crisis “Complacency and lack of accountability will never solve our problems; it only brings more instability. Rwanda stands to continue doing its part to finding a lasting solution for peace and security in our region. We need to deliver results faster and more efficiently. This is the best investment we can make in ourselves, and it is well within our means,” he noted.
