KAMPALA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military has announced that it will deploy troops in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Col. Deo Akiiki, Uganda's deputy military spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone on Thursday that the contingent of troops will be deployed under the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).
"Our troops under the EACRF are in the final stages of deploying anytime in the DRC," he said.
The planned deployment followed a decision endorsed and adopted by regional leaders at the third East African Community Heads of State Conclave on Peace and Security in eastern DRC held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, last June.
Ugandan forces will join Kenyan, Burundian and Angolan troops already on the ground to bring lasting peace to the restive eastern region.
Uganda already has troops in eastern DRC in a joint military operation with the Congolese army against the Allied Democratic Forces rebels.
Ugandan troops, together with their DRC counterparts, launched joint attacks on the rebel group in November 2022. ■