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CHINEDU OKAFOR
Sunday November 13, 2022
Kenyan soilders marching
Kenya has given its rationale behind deploying its troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Yesterday, it was reported that Kenya was spending $37 million on a peacekeeping mission in its neighbor country, DRC. Additionally, the Kenyan government also noted that it would deploy 1000 troops to aid in said mission. Read the story here.
As expected the move raised many eyebrows as people speculated why the Kenyan government would commit that much to foreign aid when the same resources could be used to resolve domestic issues.
Today, the Kenyan government has given its reason for the baffling decision, as they noted that the move was in response to protecting its interest in Congo.
According to the Kenyan government, the decision was based on its strategic investment interests to protect the mineral-rich country. The government also noted that there was a lot at stake, and its own loss could be detrimental if it doesn't end the ongoing conflict.The conflict in question is a standoff between the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda, both of whom are currently locked in a cold war.
“The long-term local and regional benefits in peace and stability, as well as strategic Kenyan investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, outweigh the costs,” Nelson Koech, MP for Belgut and chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, said.
“Through this deployment, Kenya will also secure its vital interests including Kenyan businesses like banks operating in the DRC, numerous Kenyan businesspeople in the country, bilateral trade with the DRC, and utilization of the Mombasa port by the DRC among others,” he added.
However, aside from the large sum of the amount being committed to the mission, Kenyans are still concerned about the mission's success, and of course, the military’s exit strategy.
Koech, in a statement, reassured the people that past failures would not be replicated, as Kenya is more well-equipped to deal with foreign conflicts of this level. He cited Kenya’s run-in with the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, in Somalia.
“In Somalia's case, the priority was to crush the Al-Shabaab infrastructure to incapacitate their ability to attack Kenya. In DRC, the mandate of the KDF is simple. We move in to facilitate ongoing regional stabilization efforts to create room for dialogue,” Mr. Koech explained.