KDF soldier killed in surprise attack by M23 rebels
KDF soldier deployed in Eastern DR-Congo among those killed during clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and M23 Rebels
In a statement, FARDC confirmed the killing of a Kenyan KDF soldier.
“The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo denounce the shooting mortars perpetrated by the M23/RDF, leading this Tuesday, October 24, 2023, to KIBUMBA on the death of a peacekeeper from the Regional Force of the States of East Africa,” the statement read in part.
Kenya is part of the regional forces deployed to the troubled Eastern DRC to restore peace.
The FARDC stated that a mortar fire from M23 hit the military camp in Kibumba area, killing the Kenyan KDF soldier.
However, the statement did not mention whether other people were injured during the attack.
“Indeed, after having faced the determination of the FARDC in the morning of this Tuesday, where they attacked one of our positions, the M23/RDF directed their mortar fire into forward EACRF positions,” the statement further read.
In 2022, the East African Community (EAC) member countries established a regional force to put an end to the anarchy caused by armed groups in DRC, including the M23 rebels.
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In order to halt the rebels’ progress toward Goma, former president Uhuru Kenyatta deployed Kenyan troops to the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Some military analysts have stated that the Kenyan deployment has not resulted in a long-term solution to the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, leading to calls to terminate the mission and remove Kenyan personnel.
The resource-rich Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to over 100 rebel factions, according to UN estimates, making it one of the world’s riskiest regions.
DRC was plunged into a civil war after the fall of former dictator Mobutu Sseseko. The country has not known peace for decades, with elections often contested.
Its national army’s incapacity to combat rebel groups has been attributed to corruption, with soldiers receiving inadequate pay and equipment.
The decades-long conflict in the area has claimed thousands of innocent civilian lives and has raised the possibility of spreading to Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi, its neighbors.
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