In eastern DRC, a very calculated deployment of Kenyan soldiers

A soldier stands at the entrance to the international airport in Goma, one of the main cities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With a scarf pulled over his eyes and a gun slung over his shoulder, he controls the search of cars. ” Go on, go on “, he explains to passengers in Swahili, a language spoken in several countries in the region. The Kenyan flag is embroidered on his left shoulder.

The soldier is part of the East African Force, which was approved in June by the seven heads of state of the East African Community (EAC) during a summit in Nairobi to stabilize eastern DRC, which has been plagued by three decades of violence. years. The Kenyans are one of the first elements to be deployed, after the Burundians, who have been intervening in South Kivu since August.

A total of 903 members of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) are due to land in the coming weeks in North Kivu, Congo province, which has been rocked for almost a year by the resurgence of the March 23 Movement (M23). The Tutsi-dominated insurgency, which was formed from the ashes of an older insurgency, the Congress for National Defense of the People (CNDP), was however defeated in 2013.

Kenya’s deployment coincides with a resurgence of tensions. Since Saturday, November 12, rebels and the Congolese army have been fighting for control of Kibumba, one of the last security checkpoints before Goma. The M23 is now only twenty kilometers from the provincial capital, which it threatens to retake, as it did in a previous rebellion in 2012. Since late October, the armed group has already taken control of parts of North Kivu, including Rutshuru and Kiwanja, two commercial and agricultural towns that transit goods to several Congolese cities.

Preparations for peace talks

Currently, 200 Kenyans live in the Himbi headquarters, about 8 kilometers from the center of Goma. ” They are the precursors to the arrival of the rest of the troops – says a Kenyan army officer. The latest arrival arrived on Tuesday, November 15, following Uhuru Kenyatta’s surprise visit to Goma. The former Kenyan president, who was appointed EAC facilitator, met Congolese President Felix Shisekedi in Kinshasa last weekend to prepare for peace talks scheduled to take place in Nairobi on November 23.

Since the end of his presidential term in August, Uhuru Kenyatta has been working behind the scenes to find a diplomatic solution to this crisis, which has become regional: integrated into the EAC in March, the DRC is indeed blaming another member state of the organization. Rwanda actively supports M23, while Kigali denies any involvement in the conflict. ” The regional force has an offensive mission with priority of Rwandan aggression with the M23. ” asserts General Jerome Chiko Tshitambwe, the Congolese deputy chief of staff in charge of operations.

But will Kenyans go to the front with the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) against the rebels? ” Priority above all is the political process and disarmament. If that fails or the groups don’t want to disarm, then we sue them. “ says Kenyan General Jeff Nyaga, commander of East African forces.

” A clash between the M23 and the Kenyan army could seriously damage diplomatic relations between Kigali and Nairobi. This is probably one of the reasons why Kenyans will not get involved against M23 “, predicts Richard Moncrief, a researcher at the International Crisis Group.

“Kenya the savior is big brother”

Meanwhile, in Nairobi, the cost of the operation is falling: 35.3 million euros will be allocated in the first six months – and 57.2 million euros in one year – even though Kenya is on life support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ” The country is facing prolonged drought and insecurity, opposition MP Jared Okello notes. This money could be better spent. »

” Given Kenya’s strategic investments in the DRC, The long-term benefits far outweigh the cost of operations [militaires] Another opposition parliamentarian, Nelson Koech, who heads the National Defense Committee, will answer. ” By sending troops, Kenya is positioning itself as a big brother savior as it wants to play a role in the region and protect its economic interests. », concludes the analyst, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Indeed, East Africa’s economic locomotive has just launched a charm offensive in the Congolese lands controlled by Uhuru Kenyatta himself. During his last mandate at the head of Kenya (2017-2022), various pledges were put forward: the opening of two consulates in Goma and Lubumbashi, the creation of a daily airline connecting Nairobi to Goma, and the signing of an agreement on the movement of sea cargo. The port of Mombasa, on the Kenyan coast, as the main gateway for trade with the DRC.

Despite mediating the conflict on behalf of the EAC, the former Kenyan president has close ties to Kinshasa. ” Felix Tsiskedi considers him a kind of godfather Confides a Congolese diplomat, pointing to Uhuru Kenyatta’s decisive support during the 2018 Congolese elections that marked the end of Joseph Kabila’s presidency.

An area full of rare earths

His role in the political transition opened up new economic prospects for Kenya in the DRC. In total, 22 new Kenyan companies have been established in the DRC since 2021. In this growth, Kenyan banks are at the forefront. In 2015, Equity Group, a leading financial institution in East Africa, acquired ProCrédit Bank, then Banque Commerciale du Congo (BCDC) in 2020, becoming the largest financial services chain in the DRC. As for the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), which is owned by the Kenyan state, in August 2022 it acquired 85% of the shares of Trust Merchant Bank (TMB), which is well known in the mining sector in the Congo province of Katanga.

Is KDF’s military intervention in an area full of rare earths ahead of Kenya’s entry into the mineral market? ” DRC’s mineral resources have always been a factor in the relations and military interventions of neighboring states ” says Claude Kabemba, director of the South African Resource Monitoring Institute.

” The current war is economic and the instability will benefit the insurgents. We want trade, but for that we must bring peace and securityThe Kenyan diplomat reassures. DRC has a big market and Kenya needs it to sell its goods. But for this we must first establish a favorable climate. »

Since 1996, successive wars in eastern DRC have been systematically accompanied by the looting of mining resources by hundreds of Congolese and foreign armed groups. ” Kenya will be an exception ? Claude Kabamba asks.