The body of a Kenya Defence Forces soldier who was killed in a mortar attack on the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) in Kibumba, eastern DRC was Wednesday flown to Nairobi.
EACRF protested on Wednesday in a statement that a ceasefire agreement between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the M23 armed group was breached on October 24 when the attack happened.
“The hostile clashes fatally wounded a Kenyan Peacekeeper stationed at Kanyamahoro, near Kibumba, 15 kilometers North East of Goma. Consequently, investigations to establish circumstances under which this incident occurred have commenced,” a statement from EACRF said.
It called for the return to a ceasefire agreement and cessation of hostilities between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the M23 Armed Group.
“EACRF remains committed to the Protection of Civilians in line with its mandate.”
The body of a private was loaded onto a military plane and flown to Nairobi on Wednesday.
It is the first such death to be reported on the Kenyan troops since they joined the EACRF last year.
There are more than 1,000 KDF personnel in the mission.
The soldier was among troops under the EACRF when a mortar directed at a fighting group landed on them on Tuesday, October 24.
Officials on the ground said there was no direct attack on KDF Forward Operating Base adding the M23 was fighting with Wazalendo rebels using mortars when the incident happened.
“One accidentally landed near one of the post patrol bases. The soldier was injured from shrapnel resulting from the landing bomb. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the injuries,” an official aware of the developments said.
Fighting between the M23 rebels and the Militia Coalition under the Wazalendo (Patriots) umbrella has resumed in North Kivu province.
This is after Bertrand Bisimwa, the M23 rebels’ President accused Wazalendo and the government army of launching the attacks at M23 positions in Bwiza, Masisi territory.
A statement from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo denounced the shooting blaming it on the the M23.
This comes as M23 rebels and DR Congo troops clash heavily in North Kivu province.
Thousands of people have been displaced in the volatile eastern region of the DRC as fighting between the army and M23 rebels continues.
A mostly Congolese Tutsi group, the M23 (the March 23 Movement) leaped to prominence in 2012 when it briefly captured Goma before being driven out.
After lying dormant for years, the rebels took up arms again in late 2021, claiming the DRC had failed to honour a pledge to integrate them into the army, among other grievances.
Officials blame delayed political processes which have led to the surge in armed group activities in general.
On October 8, Defence from the East Africa in Community (EAC) approved the extension of the region's forces to stay in DRC until peace and stability are restored.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said that the approval of the East African Community Regional Forces (EACRF) follows the gains in efforts to restore peace among the warring groups in the volatile Eastern DRC region.
"After a series of other high-level deliberations with legal and security experts, today, with other Ministers of Defence from the East African Community we convened for an Extra-Ordinary Meeting of Ministers in Arusha, Tanzania," Duale said.
He said the Defence ministers discussed a range of regional security concerns with a focus on the situation in the Eastern DRC and noted the need for the extension of the EACRF mandate given the relative calm in the country.
“The sitting proposed an extension of their occupancy until peace and stability is fully restored,” he said.
Duale said Kenya being one of the Troops Contributing Countries welcomed this move and committed to support the quest for peace in the economic development of the DRC.
EACRF was first deployed in November last year and had its mandate extended in March for six months.
EACRF is supposed to be a buffer force to prevent confrontations between armed groups and encourage political dialogue.
Present were Minsters of Defense Alain Tribert Mutabazi (Burundi and Chair of EAC Council of Defense Ministers), Dr. Stergomena Lawrence (Tanzania), Vincent Ssempijja (Uganda), Jean-Pierre Bemba (DRC) and Representative of South Sudan.
The force is made up of Kenyan, Ugandan, Burundian and South Sudanese soldiers.