JUBA – The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, said goodbye on Wednesday to more than 700 peacekeepers who will deploy to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kiir told the troops to stick to the mission, maintain discipline, and stay away from criminal activities.
South Sudan is sending a more than 700-strong battalion assigned by the East African Community Regional Force to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (EACRF-DRC) to fight the M23 insurgency in the eastern part of the DRC.
Kiir told the peacekeeping force to maintain order in order to achieve a good image of the country through the mission.
Angelina Teny, Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, said the country is proud to be part of the regional peacekeeping force to contribute to peace and stability in the region and world peace, noting that it is a opportunity to show a good image of South Sudan. .
Teny revealed that the force will be sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo immediately and will be stationed in Goma.
Since late March, the M23 has been on the offensive in the northeastern province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with thousands of civilians displaced by the ongoing fighting.
Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta called in June for the immediate deployment of a new regional military force to try to stop rebel violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where dozens of armed groups have been active for more than two decades. .
– Xinhua News
