The first cohort of the over 900 Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops deployed to fight M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have departed today as part of a joint regional operation against resurgent rebel offensive.
Chief of the KDF General Robert Kibochi urged the soldiers to obey the law of the land as they are deployed and to remember their joint mission with other East African Community states to enforce peace.
“We are known to follow the law wherever we go. Respect the chiefs of defence where you go,” Kibochi said as he saw off the team at the Jommo Kenyatta International Airport.
Their departure comes after the approval by the National Assembly Defence committee after Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale met with the committee to request for permission to send the troops to the war torn region of DRC.
Article 240 (8) of the Kenyan Constitution states that the National Security Council, only with the approval of Parliament will deploy troops outside Kenya for peace support operations.
President William Ruto had ordered the deployment of the troops for a peace keeping mission, The East African Community Regional Force to the DRC (EACRF-DRC).
He handed the troops the national flag, officially giving them a nod to proceed into DRC terming the mission as urgent and necessary.
“At the bare minimum every society deserves the opportunity to experience peace and safety and every nation desires to guarantee its people the dividends of security and stability,” he said.
In the last two years, more than 5 million people have been displaced by insecurity and violence in DRC with nearly 2 million displaced in North Kivu province alone.
