Kenya deploys troops to Congo to help end decades of bloodshed - Reuters

NAIROBI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto connected Wednesday officially deployed troops to eastbound Democratic Republic of Congo to articulation an East African determination unit aiming to extremity decades of bloodshed.

The 7 countries of the East African Community (EAC), which Congo joined this year, agreed successful April to acceptable up a associated unit to combat militia groups successful Congo's east. The Kenyan troops volition articulation a contingent from Burundi.

Despite billions of dollars spent connected 1 of the United Nation's largest peacekeeping forces, much than 120 equipped groups proceed to run crossed ample swathes of eastbound Congo, including the M23 rebels, which Congo has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting. Kigali denies the claims.

Uganda has already sent troops into Congo arsenic portion of abstracted deployment to pursuit down an Islamic State-linked equipped militants, 1 of the warring groups successful eastbound Congo.

"We each person a involvement successful a unchangeable Democratic Republic of Congo and its security," Ruto said astatine a send-off ceremonial for the troops successful Kenya's superior Nairobi.

Ruto said the United Nations and African Union had fixed "tacit" backing to the Kenyan deployment.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told Reuters Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was not a mandating authority, and that decisions connected whether oregon not to concern specified missions were retired of his purview.

A U.N. root told Reuters determination has been immoderate uncertainty astir Kenya's deployment due to the fact that Nairobi wanted planetary funding, which requires an authoritative mandate from the U.N. Security Council oregon the African Union.

"We person been moving precise hard to mobilise the planetary assemblage to enactment the eastbound African force," Kenyan Defence Minister Aden Duale said astatine the event.

On Wednesday greeting respective 1000 radical held a objection successful the metropolis of Bukavu, eastbound Congo, against the determination unit because, they said, immoderate of their "enemies" are subordinate countries of the East African Community.

Reporting by Edwin Waita, Hereward Holland, and Mukelwa Hlatshwayo; Additional reporting by Crispin Kyalangalilwa; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by James Macharia Chege, William Maclean and Sandra Maler

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