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East African leaders send regional forces to eastern Congo

Nairobi, Kenya –

East African leaders responded to the threat of war between Rwanda and Congo by ordering a new regional force to be deployed in eastern Congo and ordering an immediate ceasefire.

A statement following a meeting of leaders in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, gave no details on the deployment date or composition of the force. The Congolese president later tweeted that the force would be operational in the coming weeks but should not include Rwandan troops. The presidents of both countries attended on Monday.

Heads of state in the region approved “for immediate implementation” the status of the force agreement, the operating concept and the rules of participation, the statement said. Heads of state have told the force to cooperate with Congolese forces to stabilize the region.

There is no direct mention of Rwanda, the country that Congo accuses of supporting the M23 rebel group that has carried out new attacks in recent months. The statement noted “the presence of negative foreign elements” as a significant issue. Rwanda has long denied supporting the M23 rebels, who captured a key town in eastern Congo last week.

Asked after Monday’s meeting if Rwanda would contribute troops to regional forces in eastern Congo, deputy government spokesman Alain Mukurarinda said he needed to check with the president’s office. Congo is not the one to choose who to deploy or not, he added.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday accused Rwanda of trying to take over his country for its vast mineral resources, hours after Rwanda said a Congolese soldier had crossed the border and started shooting at forces. Rwandan security forces and civilians before being shot dead.

The Congolese president has also called on international leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to step up pressure on Rwanda as it hosts a Commonwealth summit this week.

Each side accuses the other of trespassing. Congo now seeks to suspend all agreements with Rwanda. Rwanda’s foreign minister in charge of East African affairs, Manasseh Nshuti, has said that dialogue “is the solution” to these problems.

The dynamics in eastern Congo “have become tense” as Congo and neighboring Uganda are waging a joint operation against another rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces, according to a new report by the panel. United Nations on the Congo. Both Uganda and Rwanda have long been accused of backing rebels and pursuing some of the region’s rich mineral assets, including gold.

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Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna of Kigali, Rwanda, contributed.

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