Uncertainty hangs over the KDF-led operation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as President Felix Tshisekedi has demanded withdrawal early next month.
KDF is the leading force in the East Africa Regional force (EACRF) operation in the North Kivu region since November last year.
The final decision on the fate of the regional force will be determined by the East Africa heads of state this new week during their summit on November 24 in Arusha, Tanzania.
Summit will be preceded by High Level Forum on Climate Change and Food Security on November 23.
The EACRF forces include military units from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan with lean secondment of administrative personnel from Tanzania.
The Rwandese forces are stationed at the border with DRC given that the country has been accused by the Kinshasa government of fuelling the conflict as majority of the M23 rebel members are ethnic Tutsis.
The force’s initial timeline elapsed in March but was given three months extension up to June, and which got renewed twice up to December 8.
President Tshisekedi has all along insisted that the regional force must leave the country and has made arrangement for another force from Southern Africa region to take its place.
The main contention is that EACRF has been unable to comabt the M23 and other rebel forces in a kinetic combat to decimate it.
The force has insisted on being a complementary element to the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes that has been key actors in the DRC conflict engage in a multi-track dialogue.
The force says its job is to create a buffer for civilians like opening main supply routes, ensuring implementation of the Luanda ceasefire agreement that required the M23 forces to withdraw from the civilian spaces into cantonment zones and return of the civilians to their homes as normalcy gradually returns.
But another factor at play is the mutual suspicion between the country and Rwanda, with Tshisekedi blaming the regional force for refusing to decimate the rebels for fear of rattling Paul Kagame-led East African country.
Presidents from the region have, however, been reluctant to endorse DRC’s position owing to the immense regional interest at play.
Tshisekedi has also maintained that the UN peace keeping mission Monusco must withdraw, asking his government officials to fast-track the process.
Though the president has of late thawed in his call for drawdown of the force, the messaging by his government functionaries has not abated.
His communication minister Patrick Muyaya recent told reporters that Kinshasa will not be granting further permission for longer stay.
“The message is clear: the EAC regional force must leave the Democratic Republic of Congo by December 8, as agreed, because it has not been able to resolve the problem, particularly that of the M23, which has been blocking the pre-cantonment process for two months, in accordance with the agreements signed in Luanda,” he told reporters.