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DRC Orders East African Regional Force to Leave by December
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government has ordered the East African regional force to leave by December, saying it has failed to restore peace in the eastern part of the country.
They have not been able to resolve the problem,” government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said on Monday.
The M23 rebel group has refused to withdraw from the areas it occupies, despite agreements signed in Luanda, Angola, last year, he said.
Muyaya added that a meeting of the East African Community (EAC) heads of state should “rule on the incapacity of the regional force” to deal with the issue.
The EAC force, which includes troops from Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Kenya, was deployed last November to restore peace in the troubled North Kivu province. However, the mineral-rich region has been mired in conflict for at least two decades, with different armed groups operating there despite the presence of UN peacekeeping forces since 1999.
US Calls For Immediate Release Of All Detained After Niger Coup
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Monday spoke to ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum to reiterate his support for a democratically elected government.
“A democratically elected, civilian-led government presents the best opportunity to ensure that Niger remains a strong partner in security and development in the region,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Monday.
Bazoum was deposed in a military coup on July 26 and he and his family have since been detained.
The US “called for the immediate release of all those unjustly detained following the military takeover,” Mr. Miller said.
The junta, led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, has set up a transitional government and earlier announced a three-year transition period that was rejected by the regional group Ecowas.
Ecowas has been trying to negotiate with the coup leaders and had warned that it was ready to send troops if diplomacy failed.
Bobi Wine’s Party Office Blocked by Security Forces
Ugandan police and military personnel have blocked the main office of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the opposition party led by Bobi Wine.
“There is heavy military deployment at our secretariat in Kamwokya, and they are currently off limits,” NUP said in a post on X (Twitter) on Monday.
Bobi Wine also said that the officers raided the party headquarters and have stopped people from entering or leaving the premises.
The musician-turned-politician said on social media that the blockade by the security officers is aimed at stopping a prayer event that NUP planned to hold at its Kampala office on Monday.
The prayers were intended for the party’s “dead, detained and disappeared comrades.”
Landslides in Cameroon’s Capital Leave Many Missing
Heavy rainfall in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé on Sunday evening triggered landslides that destroyed several homes in the Mbankolo locality, leaving many people missing.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but rescue workers are on site searching for survivors. It is unclear how many people have died or are unaccounted for, but local authorities say the number could be significant.
This is the second major landslide in Yaoundé in less than a year. In November 2022, a landslide killed at least 14 people attending a funeral.
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