Uganda is preparing to deploy its troops for the peace mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the East African Community Regional Force.
This comes after Kenya sent combatants to the volatile eastern DRC where the March 23rd rebel group are heightening their offensive and taking new territories.
The office of Uganda People’s Defence Forces said in a statement that the forces are currently undergoing their final mentoring ahead of the deployment.
“UPDF troops are in final touches for deployment to the DRC under the East African Community Regional Force,” reads the statement.
The Ugandan troops are reportedly undergoing final mentoring before they are inserted into Eastern DRC to join their Kenyan counterparts already in Goma.
But the statement from UPDF Spokesperson Gen Felix Kulaigye did not mention when the forces will be deployed.
According to The Star newspaper, Kenya has already sent a second contingent of military officers, which is part of the 900 that the country committed to dispatch to the war-torn nation.
South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda have committed to deploying one battalion each, while Tanzania has promised to join the deployment of intervention forces at a later date.
But Kinshasa is against Rwandan troops deployment in its territory because it accuses Kigali of supporting the M-23 group.
South Sudan cabinet approved nearly 7 million US dollars to fund the special battalion of 750 soldiers expected to be deployed in DR Congo.
However, there is no update about Juba’s readiness and preparation to deploy the special battalion.
