According to President William Ruto, there is no evidence that sending Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRCeastern )'s region will have a detrimental impact on the nation.
The Head of State stated that Kenya, as a member of the East Africa Community (EAC), will contribute to aiding the Central African nation, much as the United Nations (UN) has deployed its forces to assist in peace mediation and combat the M23 insurgents.
He pointed out that every nation in the EAC, of which the DRC is currently a member, had unanimously decided to increase the 12,000 needed troops to aid the UN in putting an end to the crisis.
"We have no option; it's in our neighborhood. We wish someone else could handle this, but things will only become worse if we stay out of it "In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ruto stated.
"In order to prevent any potential of conflict, the decision to create the East African Standby Force (EASF) was reached in conjunction with the UN. Kenya provides troops to the UN Force in the DRC, but we also provide troops to the EASF."
The President denied allegations that he was putting Kenyan soldiers through another war in the wake of the AMISOM mission in Somalia and emphasized that every country in the EAC is responsible for stabilizing the region because its members are interdependent.
"The issues in Eastern DRC are mostly Kenyan challenges, just as the crisis in Somalia is a Kenyan struggle. Mombasa Port serves Eastern DRC, and 50% of all imports pass through it. We have a business relationship and are neighbors, he added.
"These are not obligations we can shirk; peace in the DRC, peace in Somalia, peace in Kenya."
The Commander-in-Chief further stated that it was not a question of who was at fault but rather how to achieve a ceasefire when it was claimed that Rwanda was planning the assaults on the DRC.
He claimed that after speaking with the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they both agreed that a peaceful solution could be found.
"They don't work with M23, as President Paul Kagame has stated clearly. Others hold a different opinion. All of our nations are sending troops to stabilize that region because Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Kagame are dedicated to ensuring that we handle the problem as a region "said he.
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