Enormous Potentials…Strategies

The Mission of the East African Community (EAC) Force to the DR Congo is clear, “contain, defeat and eradicate” armed groups. The force which ranges between 6,500 and 12,000 troops is working hand-in-glove with the Congolese army on a six-month renewable mandate. Since the deployment of the force to the East of the country, there has been enormous changes on the field especially in towns that had previously been under the rebel group. This has been thanks to the different operations that are being carried out by the regional forces. Though at the beginning, there were lingering questions about funding and safeguards for civilians, the East African Force now has all what it takes to restore peace in the area because the rules have been clearly stated. 
Each country will fund its own troops, and operations will focus on four eastern and northeastern provinces under a commander that is appointed after consultation with Kinshasa authorities. The different military heads have agreed that the EAC military force should ensure that their operations are based on the rule of law, as human rights violations can further exacerbate tensions with the communities they are intending to serve. Another potential is the putting in place of an operational strategy and objective so that it does not end up targeting a wide and undefined group of actors in the name of countering terrorism. Because the EAC are dealing with extremely mobile groups that have a very good knowledge of the field and have good networks of information within the populations, it would be very important for the different contingents to coordinate their asymmetrical ...