EACRF soldier killed in mortar fire in eastern DR Congo

A soldier from the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) was killed in a mortar fire blamed on rebels in Kibumba, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on Tuesday.

Authorities in North Kivu did not immediately identify the soldier or give his nationality, but a spokesman blamed the M23 rebel group for the attack on the EACRF.

Lieutenant Colonel Kaiko Ndjike, the spokesman for the Congolese army in North Kivu, said that "the M23 attacked with a mortar fire that led to the death on Tuesday of a peacekeeper from the East African Community Regional Force ".

"After facing the determination of the FARDC (Congolese army) on Tuesday morning, when they attacked one of our positions, the M23, supported by the Rwandan army, directed their mortar fire at the advanced positions of the EACRF, with the aim of accusing the FARDC of being the perpetrators of the said fire and thus attracting the good graces and sympathy of the regional force, obviously creating a misunderstanding between the latter and the loyal forces of the DRC," the Congolese army said in a statement on Tuesday.

The M23 did not immediately respond to the accusation. But the death is the first such loss for the EACRF, which was deployed in November last year and has often had to engage in direct combat with rebel groups in eastern DRC, choosing instead to act as a buffer for civilian areas.

But the ambush, the second in a week on the EACRF, could signal a direct threat to EACRF positions, which are currently shared between troop-contributing countries Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi.

The DRC and Rwanda have often traded accusations of supporting rebel groups that target their respective security interests. Both sides deny the allegations. But it could signal renewed tensions between neighbours who share ethnic identities in some of their border communities.

On Tuesday morning, the Congolese army accused the M23 of "breaking the ceasefire by attacking FARDC positions in Virunga Park" in North Kivu.

“In the face of this provocation, all measures have been taken by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo to respond to all eventualities,” Ndjike warned.

Meanwhile, Kinshasa said on Tuesday that it "respects the agreements of the Heads of State resulting from the Luanda and Nairobi agreements", which impose a ceasefire between the M23 and the Congolese army.

On Monday, clashes broke out near Goma, with the Congolese army accusing the M23 of killing civilians. The M23 have in the past insisted that they have the right to defend their side and have accused the FARDC of using allied rebels to attack them.

Over the past month, there has been almost daily heavy fighting between the M23 rebels and the armed Wazalendo self-defence groups.

The East African Regional Force was supposed to help restore peace in the DRC, but has had to deal with more than 100 armed groups.

In early October, Kinshasa said it would not renew the EACRF's mandate when it expires on December 8.