Thread by @CrisisGroup

East African leaders have agreed to assemble troops to combat armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of #Congo #DRC.

What is this joint force and what are its objectives?

@PMvandeWalle takes a close look in our latest Q&A.

[Thread] 🧵👇
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The East African Community (EAC) @jumuiya is composed of #DRCongo 🇨🇩, #Tanzania 🇹🇿, #Kenya 🇰🇪, #Burundi 🇧🇮, #Rwanda 🇷🇼, #SouthSudan 🇸🇸 & #Uganda 🇺🇬.

The EAC’s joint force was designed to respond to the rampant insecurity in eastern DRC, a serious concern for the entire region.

Cyclic violence, displacement and insecurity due to the presence of armed groups has been plaguing the region for almost 30 years.

Yet an actual deployment of a regional force is unprecedented.
crisisgroup.org/africa/great-l…

The EAC is to assemble between 6,500 and 12,000 soldiers with a mandate to “contain, defeat and eradicate negative forces” in the eastern #DRC.

#Burundi was the first country to intervene in the framework of this initiative, deploying troops 10 days ago.

In spite of #Burundi’s deployment, it is still not clear how (if at all) the #DRC’s other neighbours will send troops into the country.

The plan requires each country to pay for its own soldiers, but some governments may struggle to bear the costs.

Securing additional funding will be complicated.

The @_AfricanUnion cannot afford sustained financing while additional @UN support is unlikely given its costly 16,000-strong peace-keeping mission in #DRC.

It’s also unclear how EAC soldiers will work with this mission #MONUSCO.

Complicating matters further, #DRC President @FelixUdps will have to navigate widespread distrust of the new force among Congolese people, many of whom deeply resent what they see as a long history of foreign meddling in the resource-rich east.
theguardian.com/global-develop…

#Rwanda’s presence is particularly controversial.

#DRC's population still harbours painful memories from Rwanda’s backing of the #M23 rebel group whose recent revival is causing havoc in the region.
crisisgroup.org/africa/great-l…

Convinced that #Rwanda is still playing a part in supporting the #M23, #DRC President Tshisekedi has insisted in EAC talks that #Rwanda was excluded from the joint force.

This approach will inevitably bear negative costs - most of which remain to be seen.

Against this backdrop, @PMvandeWalle weighs the benefits & the risks of deploying an EAC force to subdue the #M23 & other insurgencies.

The main benefit is that the multilateral structure will help blunt perceptions that outsiders are meddling for their own interests.

Yet significant risks are to be considered.

Several of #DRC’s neighbours have repeatedly tried to undermine stability in the country’s east by bolstering proxy fighters and tapping its huge natural resources.

Secondly, civilians could once again bear the brunt of the armed violence.

Indeed, armed groups in the #DRC have often become more brutal toward villagers when facing military pressure.

To give the EAC's joint force the best odds of success, coordination with the UN’s peacekeeping #MONUSCO force will be crucial.

The joint force’s stated objective is to hunt down rebel groups, while #MONUSCO continues to assure the protection of civilians.

The UN Security Council #UNSC should be very cautious about appearing to endorse the mission, at least until it has a track record demonstrating that it is doing more good than harm.

For regular updates on the Great Lakes region follow @PMvandeWalle.

Thread 📷 by @nicodelaunay.

Read our latest piece for a deep dive into the complex nature of this joint force and recommendations on how to best approach its difficult mission👇
crisisgroup.org/africa/great-l…