DRC peace facilitator for EAC former president Uhuru call for urgent humanitarian aid for IDPs

East African Community (EAC) peace facilitator in the Democratic Republic of Congo former President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for urgent humanitarian aid for internally displaced people in Eastern DRC.

Kenyatta asked the local and international organisations to come to the aid of the families who are suffering following continued fighting and targeted attacks.

“The Facilitator has called for special attention to be given to the children and women and the disabled who remain particularly vulnerable and whose suffering is beyond measure.” The statement read in part.

Uhuruwelcomed the intervention of the EAC Regional Heads of State who held an emergency meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi and thanked them for their continued support for the DRC peace process.

He further welcomed the call for the cessation of hostilities and ceasefire by all the fighting elements in the eastern DRC and once again called for the adherence to the Luanda Agreement that the Bujumbura Communiqué re-enforced.

In this regard, the Facilitator urged the countries of the East African Community Regional Force (EAC-RF) to deploy and take up their positions urgently and without further delay throughout the eastern  DRC, and in the case of the North Kivu, for the regional force to inter-pose itself between the fighting forces in areas where the withdrawal of the armed groups has been  effected.

As a follow up to the Bujumbura communique and the outcome of the Heads of State summit of the EAC leaders, the Facilitator will intensify the planning for Nairobi-IV.

The facilitator will mobilise international and regional support for the consultative process.

According to the statement, Nairobi-IV will be complex in its execution and will require the cooperation of multiple partners and the financial and logistical investment of all concerned.

“In order to accelerate the plans for Nairobi-IV and to further legitimise the work of the Facilitator, the Uhuru urges all Parties to accelerate the implementation of the outcomes of Nairobi-Ill in order to build confidence and to embed commitment from the respective communities in the eastern DRC to the Nairobi Peace Process.” Read the statement.

Meanwhile, a United Nations peacekeeper from South Africa was killed and another wounded in an attack on their helicopter in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday.

According to BBC, the UN mission in the country, Monusco, said the helicopter came under fire in the afternoon while heading to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, where it managed to land.

It said another peacekeeper was wounded in the attack.

“Monusco strongly condemns this cowardly attack against an aircraft bearing the United Nations emblem,” it said in a statement.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) also confirmed the attack.

“An Oryx helicopter came under fire in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday February 5, 2023,” it said in a statement.

“The SANDF is in the process of informing family members of the soldiers who were involved.”

The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the number of people killed during the latest protest against UN peacekeepers has risen to eight, with 28 others injured.

The military governor of North Kivu province said the peacekeepers fired in self-defence when protesters attacked their convoy as it was returning to the city of Goma on Tuesday evening.

Several UN trucks were set on fire and looted.

Over the last year, there have been several protests against the UN peacekeeping force which is widely criticised for failing to stop rebel attacks in eastern DR Congo.

Last July more than 30 people were killed during protests.