The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi, expressed his disappointment with the execution of the mandate of the regional force of the Community of African States (EAC) during a press conference held on Tuesday.
The press conference was held in Gaborone, Botswana, where the Congolese president is staying as part of his presidency of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
On this occasion, Félix Tshisekedi revealed that the Congolese government has extended the mandate of the EAC regional force by only three months, a period that expires in June 2023, while the Secretary General of the Community of East African States has recommended double duration.
In the same vein, the Congolese head of state has stated that the DRC will not be able to extend the mandate of this regional force that is supposed to help the country restore peace, ensure a ceasefire and make sure that the M23 rebels are removed from the region.
However, Félix Tshisekedi believes that there is “cohabitation in some areas” between the M23 and contingents of the EAC force.
Furthermore, the Congolese president did not appreciate the words of some leaders of troop-contributing countries who indicated that the mission of their contingents was not to fight the M23.