Uganda has announced that it would also deploy at least 1000 soldiers in eastern the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the end of November to join the regional force. The troops will join their Kenyan counterpart who are already making headway against M23 rebels in North Kivu.
Intelligence from military sources within the UPDF indicates that Kampala had already sent intelligence, medical and logistical teams into Goma to prepare the ground for the planned deployment. With the final deployment expected in Goma by the end of the month.
Uganda also has troops in North Kivu and Ituri provinces who have been helping the Congolese military fight the ever-growing Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) that has been terrorizing civilians. As it is, it is not clear if the Ugandan side will withdraw the troops fighting ISCAP.
The volatile region has witnessed fierce fighting in recent months between Congolese troops and the M23 rebel group, prompting the East African Community (EAC) bloc to deploy a joint regional force to quell the violence. The EAC regional force is expected to include soldiers from Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, and South Sudan. But its intended total size remains unclear.
