Hyperbolic demands of Congolese regime will only impede effectiveness of the EAC force

During an interview with International French media in New York, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi sounded overly excited about the deployment of the East African Force in the east of Congo. While announcing the commencement of the deployment of the forces, Tshisekedi fervently commented: “for your information, the Kenyan contingent will enter through Bunagana.” Tshisekedi’s tone gave away his wishful expectations for the entire regional initiative. He expects Kenyan forces to come in, like cowboys, fighting his regime’s unjust wars for him!

Despite the elaborate nature of the regional initiative, which is fundamental to promote a sustainable path toward lasting peace in DRC, it is apparent that Tshisekedi and his band are harboring unrealistic expectations from the presence of the East African force. To Tshisekedi and his cronies, the different East African contingents are supposed to hit the ground shooting from at the M23 positions. Instead of addressing the original reasons that caused M23 movement to take up arms (against their own government), they are daydreaming that the EAC force is coming to play a mercenary role!

This is beyond childish, but very characteristic of Tshisekedi!

Judging by the rhetoric of the Congolese regime, one just knows the EAC force is in for a tough time, in ways they least expect. Congolese political and military officials will attempt to influence them into pursuing a military annihilation of M23, which is not the way things work. But Tshisekedi will keep trying such deranged solutions.

This is the main reason why the situation of insecurity in eastern Congo has not improved at all.

For the EAC force to succeed in ushering peace and stability there, the force’s leadership must remain steadfast and loyal to their mandate of finding sustainable peace through tackling the root causes of the problem, as provided by the Luanda, Nairobi, and even previous peace agreements. That is the internationally mandated way.

The entire region is following the progress of this intervention, closely.