East African troops hope to bring peace in the DRC but there may be stumbling blocks

Kenyan troops fly the flags of the East African Community and Kenya in Goma, eastern DRC. Augustin Wamenya/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The East African Community decided to deploy troops in one of its member states for the first time in June 2022. The deployment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will test the regional body’s ability to respond to complex conflicts.

Already, the regional bloc has scored some early victories. Most significantly, on 6 December, following peace talks in Nairobi, Kenya, 53 of the over 100 armed groups operating in the DRC agreed to a ceasefire.