In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the East African Community (EAC) force is failing to thwart rebels in the east of the country.
A new “preliminary” investigation into alleged war crimes in this unstable region has been opened by the Criminal Court, at a time when the East African force has been claiming for months that the rebels have left the main strongholds and have been replaced by its troops.
However, in reality, the rebels are still at large and over a million people displaced by their advances are still in limbo. This contradicts the EAC’s optimistic announcements.
The East African Community (EAC) force was created last year to stop the M23 rebels. It is made up of troops from Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan.
The Tutsi-led M23 has scored a series of victories against the army and rival militias.
In this respect, Rwanda, a member of the EAC, has been accused by the DRC of supporting the rebels, an accusation that Kigali denies.
The United States and several other Western countries, as well as independent UN experts, have also concluded that Rwanda is supporting the rebels.
Last week, the EAC force organized a press trip to the areas declared liberated. Residents assured the media that the M23 rebels were still there and that the arrival of the EAC troops had changed nothing.
Despite the promises of the EAC force, traffic on the road to the key town of Goma has still not resumed.